After his home was engulfed by flood waters in early 2022, Matt Corby watched anxiously as his heavily pregnant partner and young son were rescued by a neighbour in a small inflatable dinghy.
This occurred on the same day Corby had intended to start recording this album, but instead the whole family relocated to his Rainbow Valley studios in northern NSW. Recorded a week later, lead single Problems – with its fuzzy opening synths that bring Chet Faker to mind – contains flood-referencing chorus lyrics: “Just take all you can carry/ Take all you can hold.”
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Reelin’ – the brass-enhanced second single – documents a tiff within a committed, long-term relationship. Corby’s third album utilises crisp, R&B-style production and is also psychedelic in parts. Let’s not forget Corby’s been spending a lot of time in the producer’s chair of late (Genesis Owusu’s track Black Dogs!; Budjerah’s award-winning debut EP), which has further sharpened his melodic instinct and harmonic flair.
“Your dad sold his guitar/ To make you understand/ No matter what would happen/ Music holds your hand…” – such beautiful, meaningful lyrics! And just in case you needed another reason to obsess over this song, For Real is actually Corby’s tribute to friend and bandmate Rohin Jones, who he describes as “a beautiful person” – aw, we do love a bromance.
In 2020, Corby had a benign tumour removed from his bowel and has said that the agonising week spent in hospital – awaiting his results – gave him plenty of time to reflect on his life choices thus far. Following this health scare, Corby penned the understated and classy, piano-driven Better Than That (“I said I wasn’t ready to die/ Nowhere near it”). Largely unadorned, Corby’s airy vocals are showcased to perfection here; soaring like a seagull surfing a slipstream.
Woozy and Tame Impala-esque, Big Smoke takes flight with weightless strings and an uplifting repeated mantra: “There’s not enough time to be so sad.” The hip hop-flavoured Reruns sounds like a roller skating Saturday: looking cute in your hotpants as you cruise along the esplanade on a bright, sunshiny day. Mainies incorporates idyllic field recordings, captured by Corby on his iPhone while sitting on the front porch of his aforementioned family home.
An absolute swoonfest, Everything’s Fine is a timely reminder to cherish the gift of life. We thoroughly recommend you listen out for the golden lyrical affirmations scattered throughout as well (eg. “Don’t freak out ‘bout the future, it’s beyond us”).
Label: Island Records
Release date: March 24
