Matthew P – Swimming EP

"You can shake your head," Matthew P sings at the start of this EP, "things will never change". The first line of the next song is "Things will always change." There's nothing wrong with contradicting yourself directly between songs - hell, is there anything wrong with doing something The Beatles did? Albeit partly during a cover in their case. Matthew P doing it is incredibly noticeable, given how prominent those lines are and how close together they are heard on this sparse EP Swimming. Is the juxtaposition deliberate or accidental? Are both lines true under different circumstances? Is one sung from one perspective and the other from another?These questions, whilst perplexing, probably aren't important. To say that those lines are their contrast is the most striking thing about this five-track EP is not a condemnation but merely a reference to the fact that this is a pleasant but quiet and generally restrained set of songs. The emphasis is on acoustic guitar, increasingly joined by colourful Jesper Norda-esque piano, percussion and handclaps, and forever supporting Matthew's intriguing voice - generally relaxed but tense for a moment or three on 'Keep on Swimming', possibly the EP's best song and far more than a probably-accidental almost-homage to Dory from Finding Nemo.Matthew P's ambition is not huge, but he achieves what he aims to on Swimming. This is a small but accomplished set of songs, breezy in delivery but with just enough of an edge to make them feel significant and interesting. If Matthew can vary his sound and instrumentation, he may sound at least as impressive on a longer format than this humble, unassuming little EP.

Buy the EP on Amazon | [itunes link="http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/on-top/id347275744?uo=4" title="Matthew_P-Swimming_-EP_(Album)" text="iTunes"]