Sounds Like:  The soundtrack to the best movie you won’t ever see, but will never forget.

How lucky are we to have Matt Berry?  Not only does he just seem like a stand up guy, he’s one of the funniest performers working today.   His comedic gifts are endless, and he can take the most mundane phrase and make it hysterical.  (New YAWK CITAAAAAAAAaay.)  But his gifts don’t stop with comedy, and I think time will tell that his musical output will be the defining piece of his legacy.  As a musician, he’s again in a class all his own.

“Simplicity”  is Berry’s latest, and it’s an incredibly strong addition to a stellar catalog. This is an instrumental album, and while that is nothing new for Berry, the places he takes the music are. Even in his lyrical work, Berry’s approach to instrumentation is what sets him apart, and here he’s truly stretches his legs. He is able to mine areas of funk, jazz, and Psychedelia that are fresh and new, but with enough touchstones to the familiar to be entrancing. He knows how and when to lock into a groove, and then the right moment to dismantle it. You’re never thrown off by his choices, but you are continually surprised.  “Simplicity” is a collection of instrumentals that breathe with life, and are propulsive and driven at times, but then reflective and dreamy at others. Like any great collection, each track is its own thing, but unified as an album, the whole creates a marvelous journey.  I continually reach for this album.  There is no scenario where it doesn’t work: Working? It will lock you into a rhythm without being distracting. But try it for cooking, or running errands. “Simplicity” is record that no matter when you spin it, you start to feel like anything is possible.  

Favorite Track:  The opener “Top Brass” is a gem, as is the dirty funk of “Too Many Hats.” But Currently, it’s the slinky groove of “Driver’s Seat” that I would highlight.