Identity Crisis
Pias, 2022
8/10
The 4th album from the multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Matt Simons, Identity Crisis finds the artist continuing his forthright and very sincere song craft that carries universal lyrical themes and the sort of songwriting that embraces equal parts pop and rock.
The title track starts the listen with a flash of atmosphere before upbeat electro-pop unfolds with plenty of beats and melody packed into the introspective wordplay, and “Too Much” follows with a soulful quality that even welcomes horns into the radiant delivery.
Halfway through, the intimate interlude that is “In My Head” find a poetic place to reside with its dreamy backing vocals and R&B nods, while “In Case You Missed It'“ offers a snappy and animated display of very modern pop-rock that’s tailor made for the FM dial.
Near the end, “Always Have My Love” lands in intimate territory that’s romantic and playful, and “The Boxer” exits the listen with a genuine folk song that’s stripped bare to a very warm finish.
Simons has achieved massive success in Europe already, and how he’s escaped being a household name in the U.S. is beyond me. He’s got the voice, the songs and the melodies, as evidenced by this very well done record.
Travels well with: Mat Kearney- Just Kids; Jon Stancer- In Light Of