Matthew Azrieli: "Expectations" Music Review
This song was released in 2025.
Baste Records CEO Matthew Azrieli dropped his first single in over a decade, “Expectations.” The song is an acoustic folk number, released with a nostalgic music video.
Azrieli has a talented voice, delivering a whimsical approach to the song. You connect to the lyrics about searching for love, but not allowing circumstances to pressure you. It is well-written and tells its story well.
Likewise, the arrangement is done excellently. The melody has a charm to it, pulling you into the song. Folk music is always a balancing act, mixing arrangement with lyrics, and this one nails it.
I mentioned earlier that the music video feels nostalgic, and it is true. Azrieli is shown playing guitar, going on a date, and walking along the Old Port in Montreal. It brings back memories of simpler days, and that is a pleasant memory.
Check out the music video below:
A press release about the song explains, “After a seven-year break from recording, Matthew Azrieli has made a triumphant return to music with the release of ‘Expectations’—a joyful and bittersweet indie folk track available now on all streaming platforms.”
“The new single marks Azrieli’s first release since his 2015 debut EP Chloe, which earned widespread critical praise across the U.S. and Canada for its poetic songwriting and rich, harmonic textures,” they added. “On ‘Expectations,’ Azrieli continues in the tradition of artists like Nick Drake and Elliott Smith, blending gentle acoustic arrangements, layered vocals, and introspective lyrics into a sound that feels both timeless and fresh.”
They continued, “With ‘Expectations,’ Azrieli returns to his roots—not as a media mogul, but as a songwriter and storyteller, offering a personal, melodically rich track that invites listeners into a more vulnerable side of his artistic journey. “
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