Having just released their newest EP, No Tomorrow, Washington D.C. dance rock quintet M4TR delivers the final blow with their follow up single, “Coup de Grace.”
The EP is fueled by ‘four on the floor’ and groove infused drums with sultanly swinging guitars. The title and opening track plants listeners firmly in dance mode with inspirations lent by Dire Straits; paying homage through the opening synth organ and later through the lyrics, “New messiah’s answering our plea: ‘I want my MTV.'”
“Hooks,” the second song on the Ep, though a little haunting is still a fan favorite. With an acoustic guitar strumming a minor chord progression in the midst of a dancing bass line, “You’ll never ever wanna be free / Can’t take your hooks outta me.”
The Spektre is a funky “Very Superstitious” feeling song in a Stevie Wonder kind of way that also amalgamates elements from artists like Frankie Goes to Hollywood with Journey and Genesis. It’s inherent groove contains a beautiful sense of space and compelling melodies better heard than read about. This kind of love and transparency for merging all sorts of musical elements through the lens of synth pop and new wave is akin to fellow D.C. artist Data Recovery Project / Safety Bear.
“Siren Song” has a magnetic piano intro akin to AJR – BANG!, and rings strongly of the D.C. Go-Go sound, even containing a hip-hop breakdown and plenty of latitude to absorb the smooth multidimensional groove within the groove.
“Coup de Grace” delivers some of the best examples of the lush vocal harmonies that also appear on the rest of the EP. Guitars transition between something soft and arpeggiated into sounds decidedly intent that you “Get Lucky.” The song is the latest single by M4TR, following the No Tomorrow EP released on May 20.
“Just Out of Time” is an apt title for the EP’s final track. It’s a little slower, a little softer, and more of a ballad. However, we could see this turning into a jam in a live setting if the situation called for it! On the EP it features a gritty guitar in response to the thoughtful timbre yet cryptic lyrics denoting the end of a relationship.
M4TR met jamming in Flashband, playing on stages like Jammin Java, Union Stage, Pearl Street Warehouse, Public Bar Live, Songbyrd Cafe, DC Pieshop, and Black Cat. No Tomorrow is a beautifully orchestrated accomplishment that reflects the musical prowess of AJ Solaris (vox/synths/acoustic guitar), Laura Cosmosa (vox/percussion), Mark Galaxion (vox/guitars), Rich Technovator (bass), and Owen Velocity (drums).
Keep your ears open for M4TR’s next album, Love Is The Revolution and visit the band’s website: www.m4tr.band
“Coup de Grace” is available now on major streaming platforms like YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud.
Daniel Warren Hill is an American musician, writer, and motivational speaker. He is best known as the frontman for Washington DC area Alternative Rock band YellowTieGuy, as co-founder of Capitol Groove Collective, and increasing the exposure of artists on a global scale through his work with Alchemical Records.
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