London-based singer-songwriter Matilda Mann has treated her listeners to a double feature for her latest release: two brand new singles ‘Meet Cute’ and ‘Tell Me That I’m Wrong’. Together, they mark Mann’s first individual release since last autumn and pose a welcome addition to the artist’s collection, positioned at the intersection between pop, indie and folk.
‘Tell Me That I’m Wrong’ follows a tried and tested formula for Mann; with its acoustic guitar, soft vocal harmonies and sweeping strings, the ballad partly resembles previous songs such as ‘Make It Home’ and ‘The Day That I Met You’. What sets the track apart is the enticingly atmospheric mood weaved into its fabric. “There’s no one else I’d sit outside with / in the cold at 3 am”, Mann confesses dreamily against an earnest guitar in the song’s opening. Continuing into a flirtatious and starry-eyed first verse, the singer’s confessionary infatuation is reflected in the building instrumentation which seems to invoke the excitement, nerves and intrigue of a burgeoning love interest. “I could love you for forever / if you tell me when to start” Mann admits as strings play a tentative accompaniment.
“Because you, you and me belong / tell me that I’m wrong”, Mann softly sings as the layers of instrumentation flourish into a bountiful chorus. Sweeping strings add both an orchestral air to the piece and emotional gravity to the sentiment of her words: this is not some fickle crush, but a momentous declaration of love. Though the lyrics are simple, there is something refreshingly candid captured within them. Mann’s command over emotive harmonies infuses each song with a complexity beyond words as each vocal layer pulls the listener closer to the emotional heart of the song.
The accompanying single, ‘Meet Cute’, contains a similarly atmospheric mood with edgier undertones and far lower stakes than its counterpart. A combination of electric guitar, drums and reverb infuse the track with a far grittier sound; there are no stirring strings to be seen, or heard. Once again, Mann’s instrumentation matches the sentiment of her lyrics as she recounts the thrill of meeting someone for the first time. “Met you in a bathtub at somebody’s afters / I don’t think I caught your name”, her breathy vocals play over a punchy drum beat. As the track continues into its brooding chorus, Mann muses “We should do this again / do this again” repeatedly as the drum beat builds with incessant intensity.
‘Meet Cute’ was released alongside a music video directed by Ben Harris which depicts the scenarios described in Mann’s lyrics alongside recreations of famous ‘meet-cutes’ from Notting Hill (1999), 500 Days of Summer (2009) and Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet (1996). All are overseen by an external version of Matilda, who controls and edits each scene. While a creative and innovative success on its own, the video gives further context to the song itself; that we are situated inside Mann’s mind as she reimagines meeting someone for the first time in different scenarios.
One may be earnest and the other playful, but both of these singles share an emotional resonance that indicates a natural progression for the 24-year-old artist. Mann’s vocals are as soothingly gentle as ever and the increase in instrumental range is a welcome development. Whatever and whoever Matilda Mann has fallen for in these two singles, it seems a challenge not to fall along with her.
Words by Elise Barry
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