Album Review
HEARD NOISES
BY MATT BERRY
by Joe Vickrey
Photo by Ben Meadows
Romanticism and urgency mixed with the excitement and anxiety of getting lost highlight this voyage into the unknown.
From What We Do In The Shadows to Toast of London and IT Crowd, Matt Berry has become one of the most iconic, beloved, and frequently memed actors of all time. On top of being a global treasure of an actor, he has a top notch music career that many would kill for. Shortly after discovering his music, 2020’s vintage country-inspired Phantom Birds and 2021’s '70s psychedelic throwback Blue Elephant became two of my most heavily rotated albums to date.
While Matt has been more than busy acting, it’s beyond exciting to hear him return to music with his tenth album Heard Noises. The title is evocative of early experimental or electronic records, and the range of noises heard here make this his most ambitious album to date. In the most inventive way possible, Heard Noises combines some '70s Prog structures with '60s pop sensibilities and production. It’s vibrantly rewritten history, and with songs that flow seamlessly into each other, it makes for a great listen from front to back.
The first single, “I Gotta Limit” is an uptempo lover’s quarrel duet with singer Kitty Liv, and a particularly great focal point in the collection. With humorous banter back and forth, the choruses end on the humorous quip, “I gotta limit. You sure have hit it.” Backlit by funky drum breaks and a tight horn section, the song is an absolute bop.
“I Gotta Limit” is followed by the second single, “Wedding Photo Stranger” which embraces some of the more ambient elements of the album. Chirping synthesizers, spacey guitars, and orchestral cymbal hits prepare the listener for some of the record’s bigger instrumental moments.
One of these instrumental passages leads into the spoken word poem, “I Entered As I Came” which sounds like traveling to the world’s edge to receive eternal wisdom from an otherworldly elder. While it feels weird to highlight the spoken word piece on an album with such phenomenal songwriting, Heard Noises is an immersive experience that draws its listeners into its scenes, and putting “I Entered As I Came” at the center of the album makes for some top notch world building.
The instrumentation on this album is glorious as well. There are simply too many elements on each track to call out, and the revolving door of orchestration rewards the listener with an exciting journey. Much like episodes of What We Do In The Shadows, these songs never ended where I expect them to. Additionally, not many songs follow the pop format nor do any of them end on an even louder chorus.
From the tongue in cheek lyric, “I’m on a diet of fear and bullshit,” to the double entendre, “I drink Canda dry,” Matt’s lyrics are witty and memorable, and they’re rivaled only by Matt’s sense of melody and his uniquely signature voice. “Why On Fire?” is an excellent example of Matt’s voice in forte grandeur. It’s unmistakably Matt Berry, and it carries the song brilliantly.
Other tracks like “Stay on the Ground” highlight Matt’s ability to gently beckon and entice. Whether you’re new to the music of Matt Berry or you’re a fellow diehard, his newest entry is a must. Romanticism and urgency mixed with the excitement and anxiety of getting lost highlight this voyage into the unknown. The cinematic flare to an already gripping collection puts Heard Noises in the running for best album of 2025.