Album Details

• Artist: Matt Morris
• Album: When Everything Breaks Open
• Label: Interscope Records
• Year of Release: 2010
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: carlita on 2012-11-06

Media

Losing touch with Matt Morris' music for a couple of years after loving his Backstage at Bonnaroo EP release and seeing him open for Joan Osborne , I returned recently to his discography to check out his 2010 full album debut, When Everything Breaks Open. What you'll find once you break this open is a little new wave, acoustic folk, soul, jazz and reggae with an audible influence from Justin Timberlake (check out their version of "Hallelujah" they performed on a charity telethon on YouTube...you hear him singing backup on some tracks this record and hear some strong Pharrell-like drumbeats); infusing sociopolitical parody with a pop punch.

Listening to this interestingly on Election Night 2012, he calls the red right-winged creatures and corporate consumerism on the carpet with poignant lyrics on "Bloodline", "Money" ("if you got money in your wallet, you got permission to enjoy yourself for a while"), "In This House" and The Un-American ("buy a new, buy a new, buy a new...it'll be alright"). Recalling the classic piano ballads of Billy Joel and Freddie Mercury, he offers despondently lingering "Let It Go". Not everything has an aggressive party-political slant as there's funk/hip-hop fire that I had on repeat, "You Do It For Me" and album highlight, "Eternity". "Don't You Dare" pass this by without listening; "I'm telling you with sincerity in what you do and what you be is gon' follow like you follow me and be with you for eternity...". Enough said.

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