Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 14!
Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 14!

JFH Music Review


Mat Kearney, Mat Kearney - EP
CLICK COVER TO ENLARGE

Mat Kearney
Mat Kearney - EP



Artist Info: Discography
Genre(s): Pop
Album length: 4 tracks: 13 minutes, 11 seconds
Street Date: December 8, 2017


READER RATING:   


Nearly three years after the release of Just Kids, Mat Kearney graces listeners with a satisfying four-track EP. Consisting of three new songs and an acoustic track, the short offering gives fans a reason to revisit Kearney's iconic musicality in anticipation of his upcoming project, CRAZYTALK.

The lead-off track, "Don't Cry For Me," positions Kearney and his muse in New York City on New Year's Eve. Lined by a back-beat surf guitar, Kearney injects the lyrics with his trademark sense of melancholic optimism ("the seasons will change/so will you every day.../so don't be afraid that your heart's gonna break"). Even though the track has its highlights, one can't help but feel like the mid-tempo pacing starts the project on a lethargic note.

To pick up the energy, the next track, "Face To Face," is a bouncy dance cut that recognizes God's providence through hard times. Armed with shiny production and some of Kearney's strongest imagery in recent memory ("I feel Your thunder pouring like rain/Down on the mountains of all my mistakes.../Into the ocean of Your embrace"), the track outshines many of those released by Kearney's CCM-dance contemporaries.

The EP wraps up with two versions of Kearney's new single, "Better Than I Used To Be." A collaboration with pop-DJ AFSHeen, who is best known for his collaborations with mainstream pop artists, such as Conor Maynard and Rebecca Ferguson, the single version encapsulates Kearney's signature electro-acoustic style, while also incorporating inflections of AFSHeen's upbeat synth-pop. The unconventional love song revisits the past, while wittily promising a dedicated future ("You never know what you got 'til it's gone/ Guess you'll never know, 'cause you know you're my only one"). Rich in replay value, it's no wonder that the track has already made an impact on mainstream music charts.

A hold-over for his highly-anticipated full-length, Kearney's eponymous EP showcases an artist unafraid to switch-up his acoustic style with contemporary electro-pop elements. With another solid project added to Kearney's catalog, old and new fans alike have a reason to look forward to the Oregonian singer-songwriter's LP due out in February, 2018.

JFH Reader Review: Review date: 1/6/18, written by Ryan Campbell for Jesusfreakhideout.com



(JFH Sponsor Spot)

Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 14!

 

. Record Label: Tomorrow Music
. Album length: 4 tracks: 13 minutes, 11 seconds
. Street Date: December 8, 2017

  1. Don't Cry For Me (3:02)
  2. Face To Face (3:43)
  3. Better Than I Used To Be (feat. Afsheen) (3:15)
  4. Better Than I Used To Be (Acoustic) (3:13)

 

 JFH Album Sample Player

 



Leave a Comment

 

 

go to main Album review page
go to Album review archive

 

 

                 
Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 14!

Search JFH



This Friday, September 5, 2025
ALBUMS
A Life Aligned The Light That Failed To Cease (independent)
Philip Anthony A League of My Own (ALOMO) - EP (independent)
Josh Baldwin Full Grown Man, Vol. 1 - EP [Bethel]
bodie NO SKIPS [Provident]
Colony House 77 (Pt. 1) [Roon]
Coqui LIVING 2 DIE - EP [DREAM]
The Gray Havens This Is Not the End (independent)
Forrest Frank CHILD OF GOD II (BACK TO BACK) DELUXE [River House]

SINGLES
Bill B. GOD KNOW ft. TrigNO - Single [Syntax]
Mark Bishop I'm Gonna Do What I Said I'd Do - Single [Sonlite]
Brave Days Friendly Fire - Single (independent)
CalledOut Music Adore You - Single [Integrity]
Michael Carder Where Do I Go From Here - Single (independent)
Charis Music Pressing Through (feat. Hailey Trevino) - Single [NWN]
Darius Mullin & Dre Murray Cash & Burn - Single [Syntax]
Kristene DiMarco Song for My Children - Single [Bethel]
Amanda Janson Sinner to Saint - Single [Pure Mosaic]
JSP It's Not Your Fault - Single (independent)
Tae Lamar Vengeance II (feat. MotionPlus, Propaganda, and m1L) - Single [Polished Arrow]
Patrick Mayberry Everlasting Arms - Single [Provident]
No Vain Glory FLEX - Single [Syntax]
Jemimah Paine Reason - Single [Integrated Music Rights]
R.kitect Tha Deep End - Single [Syntax]
Razzie & theprodigaljoe Man Make Plans - Single [Syntax]
Saints in Exile My Mind is a Prison - Single [Syntax]
Carly Ann Taylor Why Should I Worry (Remind Me Version) - Single [Curb]
Jaci Velasquez, Evan Egerer ¡DALE! Praise - Single [Rixon]
NEEDTOBREATHE Momma Loves Me (feat. The Red Clay Strays) - Single [Omnivore]
Wisenheart Well-Worn Door - Single (independent)
Zahriya Zachary Shine n Me (feat. Edward Rivera) - Single [Bethel]

Next Friday, September 12, 2025
ALBUMS
Jervis Campbell Good Grief! (independent)
Demon Hunter There Was A Light Here [Weapons MFG]
Roxanne Grace Try Again [DREAM]
Ellie Holcomb The King Is Still The King [Capitol CMG]
Sower Contemporary Christian Machine - EP (independent)
twenty one pilots Breach [Fueled By Ramen]
Phil Wickham Song of the Saints [Fair Trade]

SINGLES
BASECAMP Under the Blood (feat. Knaladeus) - Single [Polished Arrow Music]
Dan Bremnes Find Yourself - Single [Curb]
Matt Hammitt Days God Gave - Single (independent)
Amy Jay Margins - Single (independent)
The Undertaking! Forever Remember - Single (independent)


For all release dates, click here!
 

Join honey and save on online purchases!
Need proofreading and editing help? We've got you covered! Click here to learn more
Check out depositphotos for royalty free images