EP Review: Closer To Tomorrow

In early 2023, Matt Joe Gow released album number 4, Between Tonight And Tomorrow, to widespread critical acclaim. Not only did that include 5-star reviews, Matt also took home the 2023 MLT Songwriting Award. Extensive touring in support of the album showed its title track becoming a popular fan favourite. Closer To Tomorrow is a revisiting of that album, tracked live at Woodshed studios in Melbourne. Joining Gow’s acoustic guitar and vocals on the thoughtful and introspective track is Andrew Pollock’s mandolin, combining to make a slightly slower paced, open, and soulful rendering than the original release.

The EP offers 3 distinctly different takes on the song. Each is called a slightly different version of Between Tonight And Tomorrow, with the first having the additional ‘(Reprise)’ in the title. Track two is Between Tonight And Tomorrow-Remix. Having recorded Reprise, Gow’s long-time engineer Chris Elliot suggested taking things a step further. Remix is a tribute to their shared love of 90’s trip-hop artists such as Massive Attack and Portishead, and that love shines through in this version. Whilst I admired and enjoyed the dark beauty of Reprise, Remix has excellently captured the sound it was aiming for, a deliciously lazy beat languorously underpinning floaty layers, lovely stuff.

The third realising is named Ambient Version, just when you thought that this song couldn’t possibly get more chilled out. Another collaborative effort with Chris Elliot, ethereal beauty is the name of the game here. Minimal instrumentalism provides a beautiful backdrop, a deep pulse coming in around the one minute mark. The other two tracks on the EP are instrumental versions of Remix and Ambient Version.

All in all, a wonderful celebration of a song beloved by his fans, and a thoughtful offering. A superb addition to the catalogue of an artist who continues to rise.