Lucy Fitzgerald 
Matterform’s self-titled debut has been a long time coming, and honestly, that’s part of why it works so well. This Ventura five-piece, Chet Toner on guitar and sax, Javier Avila on keys, Drew Espejo on drums, Zach Manpearl on bass and keys, and original guitarist Tony Pelosi, who also painted the vinyl cover before leaving the band, spent four straight years playing live around Ventura and Santa Barbara before putting anything down in a studio. That’s a lot of stage time, and it shows. Opener “Awakening” doesn’t try to win you over fast. It takes its time, easing you into the record’s headspace instead of demanding your attention right away. That patience carries into “Oxnardis” and “Duster,” both loose and exploratory, with “Duster” standing out for its almost visual quality. Apparently, it started from guitarist Tony Pelosi picturing a leaf getting tossed around by the wind, and you can actually feel that kind of drifting motion in the song. “Toaster” switches gears and brings a punchier, funkier energy, while “Paper,” “Weight,” and closer “Morpheus” balance tighter songwriting with room to stretch out.
Sound-wise, this thing draws on acid jazz, funk, soul, afrobeat, and a little instrumental hip-hop, sitting comfortably alongside bands like Khruangbin and Glass Beams. Nobody’s chasing a hook here. The band just leans into the groove and lets each song sit in its pocket. Here’s my honest take: for a debut, this is impressively self-assured, and that kind of patience is rare to hear this early in a band’s catalog. If I had to pick one song to keep coming back to, it’s “Duster”, it’s the track that rewards you most the more you sit with it.
If this sounds like your kind of record, do yourself a favor and follow Matterform, because a band this locked in together, with this much room left to grow, is one worth watching closely. Get “Matterform” into your regular rotation, drop a track or two into your driving playlist or your late night one, and keep an eye out for what they do next, since they’ve already hinted there’s more music coming. Getting into a band this early, while they’re still figuring out how big this can get, is one of the better feelings in music.
Listening to songs so you don’t have to! Just kidding :D, you totally should. Music blogger by day, nurse by night
