Do-wop rock that forces you to move and groove attempts to distract you from Matt Maltese’s satirical summing-up of society, there’s an oxymoronic feel to Bad Contestant. With ranging themes, the record closes with Maltese’s political take on an imminent
apocalypse, the main body seeing him reflect on personal failures as he tackles
relationships and night-club culture with a series of anti-love songs. The
schmaltzy sounds are as constant as Maltese’s dry tone and ironic observations
as he brings the past into the present with clever use of sound and wordplay. And whilst he may struggle to escape the Father John Misty comparisons anytime
soon, Matt Maltese’s debut LP, Bad
Contestant, is anything but a copycat of Misty’s work. It feels original, it
sounds utterly brilliant, and it is a worthy contestant for any end of year lists.
