Matt and Kim’s latest album, “New Glow”, is a lackluster record that doesn’t even shimmer, let alone glow. The 28-minute album is filled with thrown together tracks that end and lead straight into another thoughtless, unimpressive song. Some of the tracks on this record have odd hip-hop influences that are extremely unsuccessful.
Trap and hip pop have been influencing today’s top 40 more so than in the past, but in an attempt to have the next Katy Perry “Dark Horse,” instead Matt and Kim create an aimless album that isn’t excessively catchy or enjoyable. The outro song on the album, “I See Ya” has a slow pace, and doesn’t scream fun, which is the music that Matt and Kim focus on. The final track is a pointless song on a disappointing album.
“New Glow” lacks any standouts as well. The strongest songs on this record are just the least mediocre ones. “Can You Blame Me” isn’t terrible but the intro is a bit reminiscent of “California Gurls.” Once Matt Johnson’s vocals kick-in though, the song feels a bit more likable and similar to their previous sound. With that being said, the song isn’t the pop anthem of the year, but it keeps this record from being entirely terrible. It also ends before the listener even gets a chance to fully enjoy it. “Not Alone” has a catchy piano, but the song doesn’t have anything unique or feature instrumentation that makes it superior. It is reminiscent of “Daylight” but is done less successfully. The song is just another reasonably enjoyable track that isn’t terrible.
One of the more ridiculous songs on this album is “Hoodie On.” This track had the potential for being entertaining and thoughtful but, like most of the album, ends in disappointment. The song is an ode to the trust funder and yuppie. While these stereotypes live like kings, according to Johnson, they still prefer to travel the world in their hoodie and chucks. If this song were satirical, it would have been really clever, but it’s doubtful that Matt and Kim purposefully intended for the song to be that silly. In “World is Ending,” the duo attempt thoughtful lyricism but don’t follow through. The line “the selfie is alive and growing stronger” in a song about catastrophe shows a hint of lyricism that criticizes society’s new values, but takes this idea nowhere. “World is Ending” is probably the most thoughtful song on the album but still lacks quality lyricism and quality instrumentation.
Matt and Kim are known for their light and playful pop music, but this album takes that notion way too far. With “New Glow,” it’s surprising the duo is even attempting to have an adult audience. They would be much more successful in the kindie realm with the youngsters who listen to quality pop music. “Make a Mess” can easily be a clean-up song geared to children. The song would be much more respectable if that was its actual intention.
Matt and Kim’s music has typically been happy pop, but when the lyricism falls flat, the instrumentation is uninspired and the album doesn’t even surpass 30 minutes, all that’s left is a disappointing album that leaves listeners sad.