“Walk with the sun above your head”

For many who know me well, you know my deep love for British comedies. Besides the hilarity and unique sense of humor, the common denominator in most of the recent shows I watch is Matt Berry. The majority of my friends rewatch The Office, Friends, Parks & Rec, 30 Rock, Community, etc, but not me. While those are all great shows, I prefer a rotation of IT Crowd, Snuff Box, Toast of London, The Mighty Boosh, and Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, all of which Matt Berry stars in. Recently, Year of the Rabbit and What We Do In the Shadows have been added to this rotation as well.

Speaking of WWDITS, season 2 sadly (but hilariously) wrapped up this week and this seemed like an ideal time to reflect on the insanely talented Matt Berry, who stars as Laszlo. Aside from a few brief cameos, this show has essentially been his introduction to a wider audience, especially in the US. While Berry is one of the funniest actors in the world, many are unaware that he is also an incredibly talented musician.

To narrow down and explain his sound is an entirely different box of cheese!

Some elements of his music remind me of artists such as Badly Drawn Boy, Beta Band, Stereolab, and a few others. It’s not comedy, but it is whimsical in nature. Despite Matt Berry’s hilarious characters, he’s a fairly mild-mannered individual and this translates to his music. Jazz, rock, folk, and pop seem to be the primary influences, but he has dabbled in synth some with later releases.

Berry released his first album in 1995, but his music career really started with 2008’s self-released Opium before signing with Acid Jazz Records. In 2011, Berry released his sophomore album Witchazel, in which he played everything on the album. How do you top that? Well, you get Paul FREAKING McCartney to sing on “Rain Came Down“ for the album!

Since his multi-instrumental endeavor on Witchazel, Berry has had a number of backing bands with The Maypoles being the most recent. 2015’s Matt Berry & The Maypoles Live is one of my favorites albums from his catalog. His unique voice sounds even better live, and there is an added environmental element to hearing the songs through such a setting.

If you’ve ever seen What We Do It The Shadows or Toast of London, chances are you’ve already heard his music. Every song from Toast of London, including the theme, is an original piece from Matt Berry. Recent episodes of WWDITS have featured his songs during the closing credits as well. That’s not even taking into account the Collaboration episode where a major plot point was focused on the music that he and his wife Nadja have created. Since the episode is only a couple of weeks old, I won’t spoil the fun for anyone who has yet to see it!

These are crazy times we’re living in right now. We’re surrounded by heavy, necessary, and overdue conversations. Sometimes it’s good to allow your brain to get away, and for me, it’s a necessary process so my anxiety doesn’t run rampant. Matt Berry is the best escape I could ever ask for. No matter how many times I watch his shows, they still make me laugh and bring me joy. His music has a similar effect in providing an escape when I just want to listen to something fun but stellar.

Kudos to you, Mr Berry. Don’t let the Clem Fandangos and Ray Purchases of the world win, we need you now more than ever.

Tune in, Tune out,

-Josh


”Woman” from 2011’s Witchazel. The song is truly gorgeous, and the lyrics comprise one of the greatest love letters ever put to music.

”Medicine” from the 2013 album, Kill The Wolf is one of the more

“Take My Hand“ (Toast of London Theme Song) from Matt’s album Matt Berry & The Maypoles Live

Bonus Track: “One Track Lover“ (ft the brilliant rapping of Richard Ayoade) from Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace