The upward movement of talented singer, songwriter and pianist Matt Maltese is one we’ve been keeping note of here at TMR, paying particularly close attention to singularly brilliant tracks ‘Studio 6’ and ‘Strange Time’. It’s probably in the far-reaching four minutes of ‘Vacant In The 21st Century’ where the London based 20-year-old most embodies his idol Leonard Cohen. Maltese wields his vocals with authority, revealing conviction, strength, boredom and vulnerability through the gradually building narrative that begins so simply. In the first few seconds we hear Maltese’s bread and butter - keys and voice - in clear focus, but then his playing becomes more lively and his baritone reaches the edge of admission. “I can feel a vacancy at night” - these are the words that we’re returned to again and again, because it’s that emptiness, that lack of feeling we can all connect to. As our protagonist unravels, the instrumentation grows more dramatic through heavier drums and a winding electric guitar. At the song’s peak, around 3:30, the lyrics turn into one long gasp and the piano chords start landing all over the place. The song ends in antithesis to the start, a perfect circle that has drained Maltese and the listener of their energy, willing us to accept our unchanged, devoid existence. - HT