Review: Matthew Hall – What a Shame EP

Words by Paula Zawicka

I was sitting outside a restaurant on vacation in Valencia the other day, waiting for my food, while a busker was setting up across the street. The first song he played was Home. The second I heard those opening whistles, I couldn’t get Matt out of my head. That, to me, is just who he is as an artist – once you’ve heard his voice, once you’ve connected to his music, it’s hard to let go. He lingers. You can’t help but carry a bit of him with you.

Matthew Hall is best known for his cover of the song “Home,” which went viral and now has over 35 million streams. While that track still holds a special place in the hearts of many, his original music hits even harder.

He has released his new EP, What a Shame, today (October 22), and if the previous singles, Migraine and Keeping Score, are anything to go by, we’re in for something special. Both songs showcase gut-wrenching, yet comforting vocals – Keeping Score in particular stands out, digging into the quiet heartbreak and confusion that comes with the breakdown of a relationship.

The previously unreleased tracks on the EP, Same Street and What a Shame, take things even deeper. Same Street is sonically stunning. It begins slow and delicate, drawing you in softly – but then halfway through the song, everything drops. For a moment, it’s just Matt’s voice, bare and vulnerable, before the instruments come back in again, fuller and more intense. The build is gorgeous. And the bridge into the outro? Absolutely heart-wrenching.

Title track What a Shame is a melancholic folk-pop lullaby about losing the comfort you once found in someone, and fearing you might never find it again. It’s one of those songs you put on repeat, the kind you want to listen to alone through headphones, letting everything else fade away.

The EP tells the story of a relationship falling apart. Each track feels like a different stage of grief – sometimes unsure, sometimes raw, sometimes completely broken open. It’s deeply personal, yet still feels universally relatable.

Matthew supported LA’s Trousdale on their sold-out Manchester and Glasgow shows last month, and he’s set to play intimate gigs in both Glasgow and London around the release – so keep an eye out for that announcement.

On What a Shame, Matthew shares:

‘What a Shame’ was the product of a dream I had in the aftermath of my first major relationship ending. I had a dream when I couldn’t tell if the person in it was my ex-girlfriend or someone else, but in that moment, I found comfort in that person, and it left an impact on me, knowing I might never feel that again. This EP is me processing the different stages of my first love coming to an end and coming to terms with it in my own way and through my own writing. These songs were all written at different stages, while I was still in the relationship, when it was ending and after. It’s my journey through grief.’

This EP isn’t just a collection of songs — it’s a story. We hear the cracks forming. We watch it fall apart. And somehow, through Matt’s voice, we find comfort in the pain.