REVIEW: The Dark Backward, by Matthew Bannister

Take a quick look at the tracklist of The Dark Backward and you’ll see what’s been on Matthew Bannister's mind. ‘Floating in the River of Time’, ‘History Train’, ‘Time is Passing’, ‘Bad Time’, ‘Space and Time’...
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It’s an album united by a concept, but it’s not a heavily weighted concept album. He tackles time with the unjaded curiosity of a youngster, mixed with the cultural touchpoints of a smart guy in his fourth or fifth decade of songwriting.

Stylistically Bannister sticks to his favourite haunts. This is no surprise, since he usually saves his more experimental moods for the times when he goes by One Man Bannister. So we hear light rock, simpler and slower piano-led stuff, jauntier folk-infused songs, and sometimes just a singer-songwriter with his guitar and a keyboard. It’s a more tightly contained sound than his band The Changing Same, with most songs clocking in under 3 minutes.

Bannister wears his influences, especially those from the 60s, proudly. ‘What’s So Good About the 60s’ drops a Byrds line in just the right way and ‘History Train’ requires a “ticket to ride”. (Less deliberately, the structure behind ‘History Train’ lets it serve as a sombre take on Beck’s ‘Tropicana’. Line them up side-by-side and you’ll hear what I mean). There are plenty of reminders of those simpler times before the Beatles decided to turn the studio into an instrument. Songwriting as the direct expression of an idea, communicated as if you’re in the same room as the musician.
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Lyrics are quite direct, especially for a topic that almost invites metaphors to gather en masse. There are playful moments, like when Bannister sings “Everybody’s on drugs” about the 60s, without making it clear whether that’s the 1960s or the experience of being 60-something. There are reflective times (“There is no wisdom for me to impart / You had to be there / Like we were in heart”) and even a welcome mention of Hamilton.

In sum this is a thoughtful album but not an academic one. It hangs together nicely and carries a familiar feeling. More than that - older musos take note - it’s proof that you can reflect on the many years of a long, productive musical career without morbidity or grumpiness. What could be more satisfying?

By Max Johns.

The Dark Backward album release party is happening this Saturday at Nivara Lounge with Matthew Bannister, Changing Same, and Halcyon Birds. Get your tickets at Under the Radar. And listen to The Dark Backward on Bandcamp now.