Not many musicians continue to evolve and expand the boundaries of their craft after more than 20 years of recording and performing. But Matt Boroff has never been the type to settle into a comfortable groove and produce the same record over and over. Over a decades-spanning career during which he’s shared the stage with such respected acts as Nirvana, Queens of the Stone Age, BRMC, Calexico and Kyuss, just to name a few, this multitalented singer, songwriter and guitarist has continually pushed his music into new and exciting directions, from blistering post-punk to windswept, desert-tinged soundscapes, waves of ambient noise—and now, on his latest boundary-blurring solo release, pulsating, groove-laden electro-cinematic rock. But wherever his muse takes him, this restless veteran artist retains a knack for vivid lyricism, imaginative guitar work, hauntingly powerful vocals, and an uncompromising vision of music as a means of stirring the soul.
Boroff’s latest single “Let It Come Down” will be found on the upcoming album Beautiful Machine. The track favorably recalls the ragged emotional catharsis of Downward Spiral-era Nine Inch Nails.
For the musician, Boroff presents a frank snapshot of the current cultural moment, examining a world in which we’re increasingly unable to distinguish the real world from the distorted reflection of our online lives—whether succumbing to the “perfect isolation” of smartphones and social media (“Beautiful Machine”) or growing increasingly polarized as we “tear each other apart with outrage and soundbites” (“Future Crimes”). “Echo Chamber,” meanwhile, predicts a near future in which “The news will be infantilized/ Our fear it will be magnified/ Our terror will seem justified/ Our guilt will be erased.”
Beautiful Machine serves as further testament to Matt Boroff’s status as a singular talent with a unique, thought-provoking perspective who continues to grow and evolve as an artist.
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