The chances that you’ve heard a Mat Kearney song sometime in the past 10 years are probably very high. The Nashville-based singer/songwriter has become a prominent figure in many different markets. The success of his previous records Bullet, Nothing Left to Lose, & City of Black & White help establish a large fanbase in both the general pop & CCM markets. His latest album, Young Love, and its lead single, “Ships In the Night”, exponentially escalated his previous success to new heights, debuting at #4 on the Billboard 200 & leading to collaborations with other well-known mainstream artists like Brad Paisley & Ingrid Michaelson. Four years later, Kearney is hoping to build upon Young Love’s success with his most ambitious record to date, JUST KIDS. Dabbling in pop, hip-hop and folk, Mat has crafted one of 2015’s best albums only 2 months in.
JUST KIDS opens with “Heartbreak Dreamer”, a track that almost reminds me of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ opener to 2012’s The Heist, “Ten Thousand Hours”. Driven by piano and a sharp hip-hop beat, Mat starts out each verse singing then transitions into his well-known spoken word style. The most noticeable element of the track, however, is an excerpt of poet Anis Mojgani’s piece “Shake The Dust”. “Moving On” follows and is driven by a subtle synthesizer and heavy drums. It’s Paul Simon meets OneRepublic as Mat employs vivid storytelling to grab the listener’s attention. The title track, “Just Kids”, has a similar feel to the opening track but it’s more subdued. Lyrically, it’s a tale of young love (no pun intended) and redemption. Not to be mistaken for filler, it’s an important and quite beautiful track with its flowing synth lines and unique production.
Lead single “Heartbeat” is an upbeat, joyous synthpop track with slight 80s pop undertones . It’s bold and radio friendly but still recognizably Mat Kearney. Following track “Billion” is to JUST KIDS what “Ships In the Night” was to Young Love. Heavy drums are again present as the melody is carried by either a banjo, guitar or ukulele fed through an airy filter. It’s full of clever lyricism like “With your daddy’s eyes and your grandma’s gun, you are the only one”. “One Black Sheep” expands upon the Paul Simon influence found earlier in the record. It’s almost too similar to “You Can Call Me Al” but still stands on its own as a highlight of the record. “Let It Rain” is in the same vein as “Nothing Left to Lose” and “Sooner or Later”. It’s slower than the majority of the record but Mat’s vocals paired with some great piano/synth work help it stand out. I imagine this track will become a fan favorite, especially at shows.
“Ghost” is musically darker and more minimal than its predecessors, but lyrically it’s one of the strongest tracks on the record, with lines like “what hurts the most is sleeping with your ghost”. “Los Angeles” contains some of Kearney’s best spoken word work in years. Musically, it’s a little underwhelming but the aforementioned vocals help. The instrumentation on “Miss You” is some of my favorite on the album, particularly the synth work and the slight shuffle to the drumming. It’s not as strong as some of the earlier tracks, but it’s definitely not weak. “The Conversation” features fitting vocal work from Washington DC vocalist Young Summer. Their voices blend perfectly over Mat’s acoustic guitar. Regarding the rest of the album, its placement works quite well. It’s a much needed change of pace.
“One Heart” lyrically ponders the meaning of life over more “Ships In the Night”-esque instrumentation. While he’s found success in the CCM market, Mat doesn’t really try to make his faith the center of attention in his music. Fans looking some sort of spiritually-centered lyrics will find some solace in this track and album closer “Shasta”. Sung with slight autotune over a few layers of guitar, the song is a deserving culmination of the overarching story Mat’s been telling throughout the record. It’s a brilliant closer for a brilliant record.
Listeners will find JUST KIDS a fulfilling experience. Old fans and new alike will enjoy Mat’s attention-to-detail in his storytelling, his wide array of influences, and his ability to create honest, accessible music. Sure, there are some weak spots, but without its flaws, it might as well be an entirely different record. It’s too early to determine where this album will rank amongst his previous efforts, but it’s evident that Mat Kearney is a master of his craft and hopes to create the best album he can every time.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acScCRFIFNc[/youtube]
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