Matare – Brevity (2026)
While singer-songwriter Matthew Rosseau – performing under the moniker Matare – is one to defy boundaries, blend genres, and a testament to creating new sonic realms, he is also one to reach into himself, find an anchor and explore the similarity of songs in a particular style. Growing up as a classical music student, but “…sitting in the bedroom as a kid dreaming of leaving for the big exciting city, listening to the Sundays, The Smiths and, of course, The Cure and Depeche Mode…”, a love of shoegaze, post-punk and new wave developed – a style Matare would nurture and explore in various ways. Today, we take a step down and explore his four-track EP, Brevity.
“The honest story is that I wanted to create a body of work that maintained the same genre… it is a massive challenge for me to make my songs similar… I feel this urge to change styles and move around creatively, but at some point, I needed to pick a lane and stay in it for at least a little bit. I wrote Brevity in mind that I wanted to give a coherent statement of my style without any confusion.” – Matare on Brevity
It’s clear that this is Matare stepping back, shifting gear, or at least attempting to keep in one lane – it’s odd, I often find musicians expand, not contract. Recorded and produced in his home studio in Florida, Matare is joined by drummer Glen Welman, who first collaborated with Matare on his song, ‘Veinte’.
Opening with the title track, inspired by Catherine Wheel and other vintage shoegaze bands, Matare immediately drags you back to the 1980s and 1990s. To my ear, a strong likeness to Depeche Mode can be heard; however, there is a greater rawness and sparseness to the single as the drums pound in the background, the bass weaves across the tune, and Matare’s guitar slips along.
‘When Alone’ retains that shoegaze whisper and wistfulness Matare leans toward, but it is warmer than ‘Brevity’. Synth-tinged sparkles dance across Matare’s warm vocals, building a bubble of sonic comfort – one to be popped with ‘Do You Think They’ll Talk About Us’ in its harder, bolder presence, hitting you between the eyes. The final track, ‘When The Sun Falls’, picks up speed as a faster sprint in a Depeche Mode meets A-ha flush of sound.
So, what are my overall thoughts on Matare’s Brevity? If you enjoy shoegaze, new wave and dream pop, you’ll have a field day. It’s a solid clip of Depeche Mode, but, and this is for me, it lacks substance. Comforting, calming and rich in places, but Matare’s lost the spirit we experienced in Extinction Burst. New and interesting, but not something I’ll have on repeat.
Find out more about Matare on his Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, SoundCloud and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
