You may remember Matt Handley as the frontman of melancholy indie darlings Pollyanna. Since that band’s dissipation in 2002, Handley has been working towards his debut Won’t Get Over You. The material for the album began as a collection of half-constructed songs revisited in a studio scenario. Handley played the role of multi-instrumentalist and also produced all of the tracks, and his band the Dagger Stares take care of live proceedings.

Won’t Get Over You isn’t exactly an abstract title – the album runs along the narrative lines of a break up, exploring the various facets of emotion in the evolution of a romantic relationship. It’s a delicate creation – even the passionate parts sound slightly repressed – and Handley has continually proven his songwriting finesse again and again.

Opener Rhetorical is a strange choice for first impressions, as it’s rather weak in comparison to some of the other tracks. It’s easy to predict the direction the track is going to take, from the next falsetto note Handley is going to hit, to where the rhythm section kicks in. It’s all a bit too roadside diner, and quite forgettable.

Don’t Flinch is decidedly gutsier, and Handley’s singing sounds far more natural. The themes become darker with the chance in musical aesthetics, Handley’s lyrics detailing something verging on violent and taboo. It really is quite impressive that Handley’s single-handed instrumentation works so well and produces such a depth of sound – it almost seems as though he’s been working under a solo work ethic forever.

Melodic pop rock makes its welcome entrance with Rubbing Me Out, a track where Handley’s vocals are pushed right to front and centre and the song chugs along with comforting regularity. (Not) All Right is testament to the man’s tension-building abilities, building from a virtual whisper to eerie atmospherics, effectively-placed harmonies and a shimmering rhythm section.  

Black Out is all chorused harmonies and gentle strumming, weaving a complex range of imagery through the lyrics while underpinned by heartbeat-like basslines and kick drum. Linus sees the tempo cranked up and the structure swimming into pure pop territory. The song’s summery feel is very easy on the ear, but there’s nothing particularly unique happening. Handley’s vocals seem slightly strained too, and probably compressed a little too enthusiastically. Nonetheless, it’s a perfectly adequate pop tune with some impressive instrumentation from the one-man-band. Meanwhile, Lost Her Head is about as hard rock as the album gets, and Handley appropriates some husky vocals that add some upper melody to the slightly menacing grunt of the guitar distortion. Lost Her Head is definitely an album highlight, showcasing the dark-pop melancholy that saw Pollyanna receive national popularity for several years.

It’s disappointing Won’t Get Over You only seems to throw off its self-consciousness towards the end. Album closer Feels Just Like... is far more interesting than most of the tracks, incorporating an off-kilter approach to time changes and rumbling guitar sounds that expand to give the lyrics room to breathe. It’s a challenging track that Handley has whipped into shape with enviable style, and it’s a shame there isn’t more of this approach on the remainder of the album. In general, Won’t Get Over You is okay. It just seems as though Handley is afraid of getting ‘too melancholy’, as the best tracks are shoved towards the end and are dramatically outnumbered by the fairy floss of the pop tunes.