Setting the tone with a vocal detail, followed my immersive celestial frequencies, cello and enigmatic ascending keys played intricately, Matty Frank opens his EP, American Sadboi with the song moonboi, and the lyrics, “I’ll be inside if you need me”.
As the song and production expands, we enter clarity as Matty sings emotively over a hybrid beat fusing genres and cosmic sensibilities. We are already hypnotized. Matty Frank is a vocalist who plays clarinet, guitar, piano, bass, mandolin, omnichord, kalimba, and cello.
“When we’re a little younger, meet me at the swings I got a secret for you, and when we’re 17 at halftime, meet me underneath the bleachers, and we’ll make it come true” opens the introspective and poetic artist as he sings the title track to the EP, American Sadboi.
The track is immersive, and so is Matty’s energy. We are in awe of his delivery and love his narrative-based approach to song writing.
“I’m influenced by Pinegrove, Mitski, Phoebe Bridgers, Snail Mail, Soccer Mommy, Grimes, Radiohead, and many other sad lesbians and queer coded folks”, says the rising artist based in New York, but originally from Connecticut.
Speaking on his creative process, Matty says, “American Sadboi was recorded both in my bedroom and my recording studio internship at Cornerstore Studios, which was located in Ridgewood, Queens at the time. Everything was manically produced by me!”
We love the expansiveness of American Sadboi, the soundscape, the emotion, the vocal details, the psychedelic synths, the conceptual lyricism, the whole package.
Flowers for Boys is the third track on the EP and the first to spell the word boy with the letter Y. The song is a more upbeat indie-pop moment.
Speaking on his universe, Matty comments “I believe this EP establishes [me] as the less-binary but boyish Phoebe Bridgers. It’s very inspired by her and other sad lesbians like Snail Mail and Lucy Dacus, but sonically is in a world all its own.”
He continues, “Also inspired by video game soundtracks and visual media, my sound is unafraid to be bombastic, cinematic, diminutive, and gargantuan. After shows, people have told me that my lyrics are all at once broad reaching and specific, like they can fill in the framework of the words with their own experiences.”
“This EP at times focuses on a specific community, but I know it has the depth to reach every community. I truly believe that what American Sadboi does is completely different from every other indie rock record out there”, concludes the rising artist.
In ILYGirl Matty sings, “I love you for your head but I don’t love you for your body”, which could be perceived in many ways, as he professes his love, references an ongoing queer awakening, at the same time as name-dropping Sean Cody and explaining how he is not like other boys.
Don’t Give Me That Look You Know It Kills Me is more downtempo and features intricate keys and vocal textures as our protagonist sings, “I’ll never get over you…”
The song builds with emotional intensity, giving euphoric and transcendental energy, as Matty performs with raw emotion and authenticity.
Speaking on the final track, Matty says “Christian O’Keefe who is featured on Pollen is one of my best friends and has been my roommate for two years!”
He continues with reference to his allergies and how it plays into his art, “Another interesting happening is that at almost every performance I’ve had, my “acid tear” allergy has acted up as soon as the show starts. Pretty much it’s just that my eyes start watering like how they would for a normal pollen allergy or something except the tears really burn lol! I always wear eye makeup and glitter for my shows so this has made for some cool unintentional looks and photos. This allergy is also the inspiration for the title of my song, Pollen. I have no idea what triggers it.”
We love the record and have added American Sadboi to our New Music Spotlight playlist and have also been listening to Fruit Tape and Switzerland by Matty Frank.