Kintsugi
Self-Released, 2021
8/10
A veteran of the Bay Area scene, Matt Jaffe is now 5 album deep into his pop-rock and indie-rock songwriting, and Kintsugi arrives after some health problems that provided fodder for these heartfelt 7 songs.
“Cut Me Down The Middle” starts the listen with a warm and melodic display of soaring pop rock that’s anthemic and immediately memorable, and “Weekend Lover” follows with much beauty amid a slight rootsy feel in the groove filled climate.
“Voodoo Doll”, the album’s best, lands in the middle and flows with a poetic and elegant spirit that recruits strings, while “Shape Of Fear” buzzes with both tension and grit as Jaffe cultivates an introspective mood amid electro-rock.
Rounding out the listen are “Save Your Sorrow” and “Hurt Me Now”, where the former offers a ballad like delivery of sophisticated piano and bluesy guitar, and the latter exits the listen with a thicker presence of alt-rock alongside a very sincere and timeless delivery.
Discovered by Jerry Harrison (of Talking Heads) at a very young age, Jaffe’s got an impressive set of pipes, and his diverse song craft and strong attention to detail make every track here worth repeated listens.
Travels well with: The Cold Stares- Heavy Shoes; Dennis Lloyd- Some Days