New Music: Karl Mattar – Winter Things

Karl Mattar’s The Weather of the World album often has a honied yet melancholy quality to its indie/folk hybrid sound.

This isn’t the ‘stomp-clap-hey’ take on a folk and indie fusion that was popular in the early 00s. It finds its roots elsewhere: Mattar himself brings much of that folkish quality; his vocals could easily be considered the heir to the traditions of Nick Drake and Elliott Smith. His lyrics come from a similar observational style, a mix of prose and poetry, and all those elements may have an air of familiarity to them, as Mattar also records as Interbellum. Winter Things casts subtle glances at his alter ego as the pastoral tones offer increasing tones of dissonance and uneasiness, hinting at a darker subtext.

The album carries a strong and heartbreakingly resonant context for Mattar. “It was written during Israel’s assault on Lebanon and while reeling from heartbreak. Its 15 songs treat personal grief and collective turmoil as interconnected weather systems.”

He continues, “It was recorded in April 2026 at Tunefork Studios with Fadi Tabbal, who did wondrous things with what started as a classical guitar record and became a sprawling collection of songs that branch out into chamber folk, ambient soundscapes, industrial noise textures and fractured beats.”

The Weather of the World is out now on Bagno Records, the label Mattar co-founded with Julia Sabra. It can be streamed on Spotify and picked up on vinyl and CD on Bandcamp; connect with the artist on Instagram for details of other listening alternatives. 

Header photo by Nara Karkour