The Berries: The Berries [Album Review]

The Berries
The Berries
Self-Released [2025]

“A reset that trades flash for focus—Berry at his most human and direct.”

Album Overview: The Berries is the brainchild of Matthew Berry, who first turned heads with his cosmic Americana experiments and a run of albums on Run for Cover. Over time, the project shifted between fuzz-heavy rockers and softer country-leaning tracks. After a stretch of writer’s block, Berry detoured into side gigs with Big Bite, RAM, and Drug Addict before circling back to his main outlet. This return sharpened his focus—The Berries feels both like a reset and a culmination. Written quickly in early 2025 and recorded with engineer Jimmy Dixon, the record strips things back to essentials while still reaching for big arrangements. It’s Berry moving past a rough patch, using music as a checkpoint for change. The result balances ambition with intimacy—grandeur without the bloat.

Musical Style: The sound taps into classic singer-songwriter traditions, with streaks of folk, country, and layered rock production. There are flashes of widescreen pop, but the guitar stays front and center. Many tracks lean on mood shifts—quiet, fragile moments that bloom into richer textures—favoring atmosphere over formula.

Evolution of Sound: Past albums like Berryland and High Flying Man leaned into twang and burnout pop, but The Berries embraces the studio as an instrument. The songs feel less like tightly wound singles and more like snapshots—looser, more personal, and ultimately his most fluid work to date.

Artists with Similar Fire: Think the shimmering polish of Tusk-era Fleetwood Mac, the open-road sprawl of The War on Drugs and Spoon, and the introspection of Cass McCombs or Kevin Morby. There are also hints of Color Green’s dusty Americana haze, Brian Dunne’s sharp pop craft, and the breezy tones of Real Estate.

Pivotal Tracks: “White Peach” bubbles with uneasy energy and vivid imagery, while “Wind Chime” swings lighter, blending Berry’s folk roots with a pop bounce. “Angelus” anchors the record—its gentle guitar lines stretch into something quietly devastating. “Lie in the Fire Again” adds grit with a straightforward rock groove, layered vocals, and a short, biting solo. Together, these tracks cover Berry’s full range—restless, serene, and everything in between.

Lyrical Strength: Berry’s lyrics live in the gray space between confession and metaphor. He sketches images more than he explains them, giving listeners room to fill in the blanks. Themes of recovery, disillusionment, and searching for meaning run throughout, but never in an on-the-nose way—making the songs feel both personal and wide-open.

Final Groove: The Berries isn’t Berry’s flashiest record, but it’s his most self-possessed. The album sits comfortably in the middle ground between ambition and restraint, proving that less can sometimes say more. It’s a record about moving forward without overthinking the steps, and it feels like Berry is finally at peace with letting the songs breathe. If this is the reset, it’ll be interesting to see just how far he’ll stretch next.

THE BERRIES REVIEW HISTORY
High Flying Man (2022)

THE BERRIES LINKS
Instagram | Bandcamp