Oftentimes, an artist develops a certain sound or style as they progress into their career, and that is how they come to be known. While Mat Kearney certainly has some trademark characteristics, it's probably safe to say that, throughout his career, each of Kearney's now eight main LPs each carry their own unique, distinct feel. In other words, he never has made the same album twice, and that is something few musicians who have been in the business as long as he has are able to say. While beautiful, it also means that sometimes it may take a few listens to adjust to what Kearney is doing on a release. Hanging by a Heartstring is not nearly the left turn that a project like the electronic CRAZYTALK was when it came out, but the style does shift slightly, enough for the longtime audience to see that this album, too, will vary from his previous seven.

Summing up the shift specifically, this feels like the most folk-driven record of Kearney's career. His rap side does not show up at all throughout the twelve songs in the way it appeared consistently throughout Nothing Left to Lose or on "Count on Me," "I Don't Really Care," or even a track that barely could fit that category, like "Real One." The upbeat pop elements take a bit of a backseat to a more subdued folk sound as well, particularly in the back half of the record. Despite all my comments, if I had to compare Hanging by a Heartstring to his previous work, it comes closest to combining elements from his most recent self-titled record and January Flower, while also adding some new pieces to the equation.

For those who know Kearney's music, the first few songs on the record likely will sound most familiar as they each provide groovy, catchy choruses. "Catch a Fire" opens the record nicely (for more detail, check out my review of the track as a single) before the electric guitar-centered "Weakness" kicks in. "Big Man," the sole feature, follows and includes help from Steinza. While Steinza's voice backs Kearney nicely, the repeated "Hmm"s that Steinza adds to the track end up distracting and detracting from an otherwise good — and the album's most catchy — track, in an unfortunately substantial way.

With the fourth song, "Fall on Me," the more laid back nature of Hanging by a Heartstring is noticeable for the first time, but it takes off substantially a few tracks later with "Perfect Light," and continues through the end of the album. Some of these offerings feel like Kearney is performing in a coffee shop with maybe one or two other musicians, giving the project an intimate feel. The fact that all of the less folk sounding tracks come in the first five songs (apart from "Fall on Me"), while the back half leans into that genre much more, almost makes the album come across as a fusion of two separate EPs. One who really watches closely for the shift in style might notice it subtly, so this seeming dichotomy is not necessarily detrimental, but the listener may not correctly predict the sound of the second half of the record based upon listening to the first five songs. Kearney does use a fair bit of electric guitar on side B — check out "Long Haul" and "Blurring the Line" in particular — though he tames it to serve the calm, laid back approach of the tracks rather than implementing it to add energy. Despite Kearney releasing all of the first five tracks as singles, I personally prefer the later portion of the tunes because they best capture the sonic and thematic heart of the record.

Kearney centers on the idea of love throughout most of the lyrics, especially the beauty found in loving and being loved by someone ("Weakness," "Fall on Me," "Gotta Have You"). A few songs do deviate from this focus, however. In "Big Man," Kearney fights back against chasing success and money for its own sake: "I don't wanna be the one to take no money / I just wanna sip my own milk in a honey / … / Drive me / You can't buy me." "Pacific City," a personal favorite track from the album, reflects on the Oregon native's nostalgia and memories tied to the place he grew up. Despite his affection for the west coast, Kearney contrasts this with the fact that his life has taken him to Tennessee in "I'm Goin to Nashville:" "This west coast sleeping bag / Ain't meant for nothing less than mountain tops / … / I'm going to Nashville / It's a thin line between / Chasing down a dream / And hanging by a heartstring." The tender "Fall on Me" stands out among the love songs as lines like "The harder road / Seems to be the one we chose / But I'll follow you like a coastline through / … / Said I love you through the misery / Just tryna keep you company / When you need / To fall on me" show Kearney still striving for love when doing so becomes difficult.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of Hanging by a Heartstring is that multiple tracks make intentional and effective use of harmonica, an instrument implemented sparingly in Kearney's work prior to Hanging by a Heartstring. On this project, the instrument first appears on "As Long As I Live" and comes back on "Pacific City" and "I'm Goin to Nashville." Its role becomes more and more prominent as the album progresses, and the closer features a lengthy harmonica solo, giving the tune a stomp-and-holler sound that would make the track a fun song to hear live.

While I did not immediately fall in love with this album, I have come to enjoy it much more with repeated listens. Hanging by a Heartstring is a stronger album than his self-titled, though the collection does not quite reach the heights of some of his earlier projects. Still, Mat Kearney continues to keep his sound fresh and unique while remaining true to himself. That is an accomplishment that longtime Kearney fans can appreciate, making Hanging by a Heartstring a record that anyone who has enjoyed his music should at least check out.

- Review date: 10/11/26, written by Noah Schmidt of Jesusfreakhideout.com