Lyrics of the Week: Matthew Dear

“As you find you have none

Take back what you need

I find that everything was in the past, it doesn’t last

In the share of what’s to come

Leaning to get it done

Take back what you need back”

- Matthew Dear, “Headcage”

Matthew Dear, on his latest EP Headcage, melds the singer-songwriter element with the highly electronic, creating a group of songs uniquely in its own category. Though known for his techno prowess and DJ skills, Dear has shown listeners a more diversified side to his music on this release. Some electronic purists expressed disappointment and yearned for a Dear release that fully embraced his techno roots. But to disregard this EP as a mere aberration may be to underestimate his true artistic scope and creativity, for he has never fully rested on one particular sound or blueprint since his first full LP in 2003. Whether his pursuits particularly appeal to one fan or another will always be innately unpredictable and subjective, yet the idea that Dear continually challenges himself should be fully embraced by all of his listeners. The greatest music almost always seems to emerge from creative duress.