The Brooklyn electro-pop
duo Matt and Kim, comprised
of Matt Johnson and Kim
Schifino, have done it again.
What do I mean? Could they
have possibly released another
sub-par album, maintaining
their sound, only ever so
slightly expanding? With
“Sidewalks,” that’s exactly
what I mean.
See, the thing is, talent is not
completely wasted on this couple,
but much rather lost. Matt
has a smooth, at times electronic
sounding voice. His keyboard
is the instrument of
choice, something he plays
well. This aspect has always
been evident, but the drum
stylings of his counterpart,
Kim, are lost.
On Sidewalks, the album’s
feel is more aimed at pop
acceptance; a pretty face. On
their self-titled, debut album,
this was not the case. Their
songs had substance, raw
intensity, and a knack for
catchy hooks. Here, the substance
is all glamour, shallow
even; raw intensity is now well
done and lacks the dangerous
feel. The thing that ails this
album isn’t so much in what it
lacks, but rather in what it
actually succeeds in. There are
a few good songs on this
album; “Good For Great” is
the highlight that makes you
get out of your seat and dance.
My main gripe is that the cohesiveness
of this album is very
weak. Each song feels repeated,
some are the low-calorie
versions of others; songs dribble
into the mundane and
monotonous. The first two
songs indicate what to expect
from this album, and that is
never a good thing. This album
could have offered so much
more than it does. It brings in a
couple of horns in a selection
of songs to add that “experimental”
feel, but it falls flat on
its face.
Through all of its shortcomings,
there are times when you
can see through the shallow
songs, and actually see a beating
heart with emotion. A couple
of songs actually provide a
deeper emotional connection,
with slow synths, delicate
vocals and pounding percussion.
“Northeast” is a touching
song about the city in which
Matt and Kim live: New York.
There is a loving core here, but
you have to dig really deep to
find it, and when you finally
reach it, it doesn’t seem worth