Bad contestant

"Schmaltzcore er bare endnu et farlig løst pseudo-genrebegreb for en tendens med unge mænd, der omfavner en nærmest fransk/italiensk tilgang til storladne ballader med et nutidigt twist af intelektuelle referencer, henslængt kynisme eller med Matt Maltese en kejtet og til tider morbid humor ... Malteses debutalbum er dog det eneste, som er fyldt med ligefrem schmaltz-ballade. Værket er i sig selv så fantastisk, fordi man fornemmer, at han ikke viger fra sit eget umoderne univers af indiefilm-cabaret og strip club-kværuleren. Tværtimod bevæger albummet sig taktisk fra lette ørefængende pop-melodier".

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"On 'Bad Contestant' the 21-year-old creates a stunning debut that is packed with wisdom beyond his tentative years, and lyrics filled with scathing homour at every turn ... At times joyful and at others surprisingly moving, 'Bad Contestant' sets Maltese on the start of a path that marks him out as a true prodigious talent. This is the voice of a true original. The future, it seems, is schmaltz".

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"On Matt Maltese's debut album, it feels like he's finally letting us in on the joke, allowing us to view the world from his unique perspective. There have been a whole lot of Father John Misty comparisons appearing, which aren't wildly inaccurate, but they can feel like they're selling Maltese short".

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