MatAre – Brevity

If you paid attention to the global dream pop scene in recent years, then you probably know there are many artists who deliver quality pieces of work almost anually, keeping the scene dynamic and interesting as much as possible. But what if I told you there are artists who release their music almost quarterly without losing consistency and quality? MatAre is one of those music outlets who continiously delivers some of the finest works the dream pop scene has ever witnessed. So far, everything I’ve heard from this incredible artist is worth revisiting over and over again. His music carries a tremendous emotional depth delivered through his calm, ethereal voice and almost poetic lyricism. Not to mention the instrumentations that always sound like you’ve been transported into a completely different realm. That’s the case with “Brevity,” his latest extended play release consisting of four marvelous compositions, all worth placing at the top of the playlist. Aesthetically, MatAre has picked a straightforward dream pop sound for this one. Known for his experimentations with various genres, he decided to craft a perfect dream pop extended play where all four song carry that calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal, otherworldy sound that defines some of the finest dream pop recordings. Lyrically, MatAre is a storytelling master, and his music often carries certain emotion, rarely heard or seen in other artists. Whether he’s describing particular scenery, situation, or a circumstance, or navigating various sentiments and moods, his lyrics always feel honest and emotional. Although he picked dream pop as a primary style on this extended play, you’ll still notice how some different yet complementary music genres found their way into this sonic equation. You’ll stumble upon shoegaze, post-punk, alternative, and indie along the way, implemented more or less, depending on the current mood and feel of the song. MatAre perfectly assembled, all four songs, so you’ll still get a portion of all those mentioned styles while he simultaneously remains loyal to the primary sonic direction. It’s a treat for your ears that you shouldn’t miss.

This epic sonic journey commences with a title track, a perfect composition that not only vividly showcases MatAre’s current sonic direction but also his songwriting, composing, arranging, and producing abilities. He fully stacked this fine piece of sonic artistry with many guitar layers, crafted and recorded to perfection. All those chord progressions, harmonies, and themes articulate together flawlessly while the generous servings of reverb, echo, and delay bring that cave-like, colossal sound. The song continues with much calmer arpeggiated chord progressions during the verses, while the reverby, warm-sounding, intricate basslines are more upfront, offering more than necessary low-end. In the meantime, the energetic rhythmic patterns keep everything in line and dictate energetic pace, making this track so memorable. Of course, MatAre’s beautiful vocal performance shines in the limelight, offering guidance for listeners from start to finish. Such a brilliant introductory piece. With “When Alone,” MatAre leans even more into dream pop territory, with all those subtle, mellow, tender chord progressions perfectly suiting his calm, ethereal voice. You’ll also notice how vividly hearable synth works bring more chord progressions, pads, leads, and other sonic maneuvers, adding more depth and detail to an already profoundly detailed song. The interplay between guitar and synth works is mostly notable during the end, when those arpeggiated chord progressions collide with synth pads. MatAre is a master in crafting songs like these, where all those otherworldly layers merge together without overwhelming each other. These are the moments where his arranging and producing abilities truly shine. “Do You Think They’ll Talk About Us?” exemplifies how shoegaze music should sound in 2026. It’s one of those songs where reverb, echo, and delay suppress generous servings of distortion beautifully, offering a nearly cinematic ambient that immediately wraps around your listening apparatus. The carefully, thoughtfully, and wisely crafted low-end notes contribute more warmth, depth, and clarity to those guitar works, helping out all the instrumentation in arriving as a singular, colossal wall of well-articulated sound. MatAre also incorporated subtle synth works for more depth, while the half-step beats, breaks, accentuations, and other rhythmic acrobatics perfectly keep everything precise and organized. And this ear-appealing journey comes to an end with “When The Sun Falls,” a song with such a catchy, memorable, engaging chorus that immediately forces you to spin this material all over again. MatAre’s voice is even more melodic here, accentuating all those guitar themes to the max, while the additional, reverby guitar works contribute even more ethereal soundscapes. The rhythm section is slightly faster than usual, making this track not only anthemic but also danceable and more cheerful. This track will immediately throw you back into the eighties, an era when new wave and post punk ruled the airwaves, but still, MatAre kept this track in the dream pop lane as much as possible. Such a perfect closure of an incredible extended play release.

“Brevity” not only stands out from anything you could possibly hear on a dream pop scene nowadays, but it also vividly demonstrates MatAre’s incredible talent, creativity, experience, and knowledge. Through beautiful vocal harmonies, lush guitar, and synth works and rhythm section that brings groove, depth, and pace, this material shines with many brilliant ideas and outstanding musicianship that not so many artists and bands can create, recreate, or mimic. With “Brevity,” MatAre proves once again that he’s a torchbearer of the contemporary dream pop scene, and this extended play release will be right up your alley if you’re looking for a emotionaly profound music performed with tremendous precision and finesse.