Matt and Kim
New Glow
(Harvest Records)

Brooklyn duo Pratt graduates Matt and Kim return with New Glow, a less cheesy version of a live EDM  concert. Matt Johnson’s vocals stick out in every single track. Not surprising, huh? It’s their fifth full-length album since Lightning. Indie rock pop lovers have evolved together into what genre – who knows.

The singles, “Hey Now” and “Get It,” starts the album off right with dope electro beats. “Hey Now” is like being on a sea-saw with all of the back and forth hypnotic beats. Apparently, it seems way too good to be played at the hipster clubs. Ready to fall asleep, “I See Ya” is the first single off New Glow, but it’s literally in slow motion. Just imagine being at the opening of a church reception and having the intro play. A nap-time tune for kids sitting in the back church pew trying to catch up on their Z’s. Or even as a closing to a funeral, quite frankly, it’s depressing. “Stirred Up” is stirring everything up with a dancey-funk electro kick. “Not Alone” is a surf electric tune where Matt Johnson’s voice synchronizes with the waves. “Hoodie On” is the second single, a maraca-Jamaican jazzy vibe; Matt’s voice sings perfectly over the beat of the song. It’s like waiting for the red light to turn green type of song, but ironically it gets past green very quickly. “Make A Mess” takes it back to the Nintendo gaming days. Its old school, 90’s kid tune is a transition between Mario/Luigi vs Bowser at his castle. Just picture the hopping mushrooms, beware of the thunder and lighting, and advance to the next song. Last but not least are “Killin’ Me” and “World Is Ending,” which are pretty self-explanatory titles; it’s like waiting and waiting to see if something good will happen, instead it’s full of awkward pauses and beats. Take New Glow as an electro-neo compacted 10-track album.