TRIFFID ALBUM OF THE WEEK: SATIS FACTORY BY MATTIEL

13 November 2019 | Blog

November 13 – November 19

It’s not often that an album is not only able to grip you mere moments after it starts, but continues to intrigue, and evolve with each preceding track, Mattiel’s: Satis Factory manages to do exactly that. A splendid combination of Gothic tinged Alt-Country and classic Psychedelic Rock overtones, Mattiel’s sophomore record is an impressive feat and an album not to be missed. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia; Mattiel Brown is a singer songwriter pushing the boundaries of contemporary Alternative Rock. With Brown’s witty, imaginative wordplay front and centre delivered by her sensational, dynamic vocals; it’s hard not to quickly fall in love with Satis Factory.

Opening with the Jangly, Spaghetti Western flavoured Til The Moment of Death, the album starts strong and carries that same energy throughout the 35 minute runtime. As the album unfolds a multitude of different styles and genres are put on display with Mattiel’s unique take on 60’s Rock and Roll being consistent regardless of what style the band is performing. These include the funky bass line, finger clicks, pacing and structure reminiscent of a Tom Tom Club song in Rescue You, the dreamy, psychedelic guitar tones of Populonia; or the more bluesy, soul inspired ballads like Millionaire and Long Division. Je Ne Me Connais Pas and Keep The Change were the singles leading up to the release of the album; with the former featuring off kilter, Church Organ style synths as Brown’s quirky wordplay and distinctive voice becoming increasingly manic throughout. While Keep The Change displays a glockenspiel like synth line, fuzzed out, lo-fi guitar tones and the singers voice at it’s most dynamic and charged.

Satis Factory is a great example of taking an older, less utilised genre of music and updating it for a modern audience to great effect without making it feel like an unnecessary trip down memory lane like many attempting this style of music seemingly do. The album is bold and fun, whilst still maintaining an edge and being backed by some of the most interesting and distinctive instrumentation you’ll hear this year.

REVIEWED BY PICKLE.