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Photo – Heather Gildroy

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MEG MAC
‘MATTER OF TIME’
Album Review

(11th September 2022)

Review by Laura Hughes

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Photo – Isaac Brown

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“A performance that reminds us why she’s one of Australia’s most powerhouse vocalists.” – TRIPLE J

“One of the most powerful and arresting performances of her career to date” – ROLLING STONE

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Meg Mac is one of Australia’s powerhouse vocalists, whose third album has been much awaited. With the first version of her album recorded and ready to go, well that was until the singer admitted that she had a bit of meltdown and scrapped the entire record. Meg stated that at the beginning of 2020 all her personal criticisms and professional doubts came closing in on her, resulting in the bold move of scrapping her album entirely, two weeks before the launch may I add.

Meg described that the tipping point for all of this may have stemmed from her older raw voice notes that she recorded, in which she suddenly found them more compelling than her studio finished recorded and readied song. The once overlooked demos for her new album were viewed in a different light, creating the new and breathtaking version of ‘Matter of Time’.

The first track on her album is titled “Is It Worth Being Sad”, which begins with a haunting choir humming before Meg’s voice enters the scene, the beautiful melody laced with words of a harrowing heartbreak and finding solace in being able to escape from the turbulence of her emotions. The song slowly builds and breaks with its simplistic instrumentation that gives the song a raw edge, which really allows Meg’s voice to shine through, and allowing for grittiness of emotions to be displayed across the song for everyone to hear. The song is quite striking in its delivery, with a swirl of emotional high and lows that instantly pulls you in and leaves you wanting more.

“Only Love” picks up the beat with the thrum of the guitar and melodic picked notes. The song has undertones of sadness, questioning the worth of the emotion and the dismal spin that it can have on our lives. The song slowly builds as the realisation that despite the lows, the emotion has incredible highs that can never outweigh the lows that it can bring. The song structure is quite simplistic, giving room for Meg’s vocals to fill up the space, with beautiful harmonies and soft background vocals responding to her call.

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“Understand” begins with sombre keys with high reverb, Meg’s voice cuts through joining with down-toned melody and lyrics to match right before the song starts to pick up with the rolling of drums which is joined by upbeat keys. Her lyrics are yearning, begging the listener to understand the war that she is fighting inside her head. This song is driven by a more pop like sound compared to her other songs, giving it a lighter tone during the chorus where she wails the words “You will understand | Just give me a chance”, which pulls in the listener into the message she is portraying in the verses. This feels like Meg’s way of calling to her inner self to challenge herself by just giving herself a chance – which may be the album she scrapped in the hopes of finding her voice in this new version.

“Something In The Water” follows with a slower tempo and an organ humming, bringing us back from the very pop like song before, and creating a ballad piece that allows Meg’s voice to really take over the song and showcase how much of a powerhouse she really is, with strong vocal delivery that will send shivers down your spine. The song feels very intimate and gives us a chance to see behind the curtains more into Meg emotions; how there is this sense of heaviness that lingers on each line she sings, and how pulled back the song is that leaves room for her vulnerabilities to show.

“Letter” continues with the simplistic ballad of just Meg’s voice and piano. Her voice rings throughout the song, laced with heavy regret and deep sadness of heartache. I feel as if this is a song that Meg was meant to write, it is a cathartic piece of work with a strong melody and even stronger vocal delivery that instantly pulls you in. The song has a slow build and ends on a high – with the piano ringing loudly in your ears with its beautiful but haunting melodic chords and Meg’s voice growing louder, allowing the thick painful emotions to hit you in the face. It is a beautifully candid piece that showcases how well Meg has homed in on her writing as an artist.

Picking up the beat from the strong ballads is “On Your Mind”, which brings in crisp and staccato guitar chords with pop like atmospheric keys. The song feels like a call out to an old lover who you just cannot quit or get out of your mind. The song has a trancelike sound wafting in and out of it, evoking feels of rejection and wanting. The different sounds that are trickled throughout the piece makes the song feel very dreamy and moody that makes your head sway and want to close your eyes to get the full experience of the song. It is carefully layered and crafted to create a slow build and effortless break throughout the verses and chorus.

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“Matter of Time” shifts into a different gear, a song full of dark pop like features and simmering vocals. The song is moodier than the rest, creating a song that is laced with revenge and the feeling that there is something festering below the surface. With lyrics “How long will it take for my silence to break | Cause it’s holding me down while its hands cover both of my eyes” that ring out through the chorus that completely engulfs you in the darkness that lingers throughout the song. The song feels cinematic, with the dark lyrics and moody instrumentation, it brings you into a different world completely.

“Don’t Cry” strips it right back, with a simple soft melodic thrum of acoustic guitar and backing vocals that complement Meg’s soft vocals which drips sweetly like honey throughout the song. The song has a more light-hearted and cheery approach compared to the previous. It still has that feeling of sadness that hangs onto each and every word but does not coat the song entirely in a dismal display but is filled with feelings of witfulness and tenderness.

Going back to a moodier take is the song “Lifesaver”, with sullen piano and a subtle orchestra playing in the background. The song feels like a sirens call to those who are feeling lost and feel like they have no real home to go to. Meg spills her guts in this song, all over of her raw emotions saturated in each and every word. The song is so simple and honest; I can feel the hairs standing on the back of my neck throughout the duration of the song. With this song being the shortest one on the album, it goes to show that you don’t always need a lengthy song to display a sucker punch of emotion.

“Head On The Pillow” is the last track on the album which is a beautiful and cheerful song with powerful instrumentation and melody line that ends the album on the high. With stunning violins singing in the background bringing a burst of energy to the song. It is a perfect end to this album as it musically completes every aspect and range of Meg Mac. It encapsulates hope and the desire for something more and leaves you wondering what else is in store from Meg.

‘Matter Of Time’ is a whirlwind of emotions and is a striking collection of songs from Meg Mac’s newfound love of music and the development of her sound. The album is authentically Meg Mac and will translate amazingly into her live shows. There is nothing but praises that I can give this album, and that it was very much worth the wait.

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Photo – Isaac Brown

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MEG MAC
MATTER OF TIME TOUR
AUST/NZ TOUR 2023

ON SALE WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 21 (10AM LOCAL TIME)

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

SAT APR 08 – SAN FRAN – WELLINGTON
WED APR 12 – HOLLYWOOD – AUCKLAND
FRI APR 14 – ANITA’S THEATRE – WOLLONGONG
SAT APR 15 – ENMORE THEATRE – SYDNEY
WED APR 19 – ALTAR – HOBART
THU APR 27 – MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE – MELBOURNE
FRI APR 28 – WOOL EXCHANGE – GEELONG
THU MAY 04 – ASTOR THEATRE – PERTH
THU MAY 11 – SOLBAR – SUNSHINE COAST

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MEG MAC – NEW ALBUM ‘MATTER OF TIME’ – OUT NOW
CLICK HERE TO STREAM/DOWNLOAD

Photo – Isaac Brown

MEG MAC
‘MATTER OF TIME’
Track Listing

01. Is It Worth Being Sad
02. Only Love
03. Understand
04. Something in the Water
05. Letter
06. On Your Mind
07. Matter of Time
08. Don’t You Cry
09. Lifesaver
10. Head on the Pillow

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Photo – Heather Gildroy

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Follow & Listen to MEG MAC
TIK TOK
INSTAGRAM
SPOTIFY
YOUTUBE
APPLE
FACEBOOK
TWITTER

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Press Release 16th September 2022 (below) HERE

MEG MAC
releases new album
‘MATTER OF TIME’

STREAM/DOWNLOAD HERE

WATCH THE VISUALISER FOR THE TITLE TRACK HERE

MEG
announces
National AUST/NZ Tour
for April/May 2023

TICKETS ON SALE WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 21,
(10AM LOCAL TIME) HERE

ON TOUR WITH JACOB BANKS IN NORTH AMERICA
OCT/NOV 2022 – TOUR DATES HERE

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AMNPLIFY – DB