Matt Berry? The over-the-top full-of-it eejit in ‘Toast of London’? The slightly bonkers vampire that likes shouting “Bat!!!” in ‘What We Do In The Shadows’? The one who did a crazy remix of the theme tune to kids TV show ‘Rainbow’?
I can see the usual media reaction now… Nobody votes for us! He’s so Eurovision! The Contest is just a bit of fun anyway, we might as well send a comedian.
And that’s how we can sneak in a fusion of English Folk and Prog Rock to represent the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Matt Berry is one of the most bombastic comedic actors on television in recent years; He’s going to be perfectly pigeon-holed by the mainstream media still disastrously enthralled by Wogan, no doubt illustrated with some massive promotional pictures from ‘Toast Of London’.
Quick, go and watch ‘Toast’ again. Any episode. Just stop it after the theme tune and come back here. Because that’s Matt Berry singing the theme tune, which he wrote, with his own band.
Berry has nine studio albums to his name, and listening through his discography there’s a huge range of styles and influences on show. At the heart of it all lies a certain honesty. This isn’t music to reach the top of the charts, nor is it targeted to the mainstream. It is music as art, and accessible art at that.
You do have a through-line though. No matter if you are listening to the rural horror of ‘Witchazel’, the folk-prog of ‘Kill The Wolf’, the surreal jazz of ‘The Small Hours’ or the hook-laden reinterpretation of childhood classics in ‘Television Themes’; you find confidence, commitment, and creativity.
His recent release; the lockdown fuelled ‘The Blue Elephant’ is on heavy rotation in my ears.
Berry is not an artist stuck in a formula that placates an existing fanbase. One strong point of this album is that it’s not like his previous album ‘Phantom Birds’. That was a stripped-back sound and a stripped-back Berry exposing his emotions. Meanwhile ‘The Blue Elephant’ is a far more experimental and layered affair with a wide range of instruments and structures that push away from a more traditional style.
Written and recorded during lockdown, it has a rich and full sound that rewards repeat listenings. There’s a lot going on, but everything remains crisp and clear in the mix while they complement each other. There’s also an equality between his voice and the instruments. By that I mean none of them have priority over the over, they support and dance around each other throughout the piece. It’s exquisite.
If you want to go looking for the regulation three minutes, then ‘Now Disappear’ is going to be your gateway, but like all the good psychedelia infused prog rock albums, this is designed to be a continuous listen, no gaps between tracks, just forty-six minutes of flow. You should all settle in for an evening with it, it’s fantastic .
Matt Berry is, primarily, an artist. On one side there’s the BAFTA-winning comedic actor; on the other side a singer-songwriter with a long and storied career. Yet there’s no hard border, the two sides blend with each other like some mystical shoreline painted by Bob Ross. Berry has an innate ability to connect with an audience, from his music in an arena, through bombastic sit-coms, right down to a brief moment on Tik Tok.
A Berry entry to the Song Contest would be challenging, unconventional, multi-layered, accessible, and unique. Above all it would be raw and honest. That’s what I want at my Contest. That’s what Berry can deliver.
Let’s send Matt Berry to the Eurovision Song Contest.