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.

Using a unique combination of guitar pedals, looper controllers, multiple mics and Ableton-live software, Matt Boroff, Marion Boroff and drummer Little Konzett perform a live version of “So Many Personalities Ago”. SMPA is the 3rd single from the upcoming album Beautiful Machine that will be released in January 2021.

“I used to think that some things never changed,” the veteran artist sings, before dropping the other shoe: “Until I became someone else.” It’s a stark exploration of the ways our lives are affected by the things we can’t foresee or control. The song’s narrator comes to the hard-won realization that “I can’t hold on to what I can’t change/ That was then, this is now” as detached, almost ethereal synths rise and fall against an insistent electronic rhythm, creating a compelling contrast. “No one here stays the same,” he sings over and over as the song moves toward a close. As delivered in the artist’s weary but not-yet-resigned voice, it’s simultaneously a lament and a reason for hope.