He may have been a singer/songwriter in the classic sensitive sense -- he always seemed on the verge of baring his soul -- but
Mat Kearney didn't strum an acoustic guitar while decked out in Dockers. Ever since his 2006 breakthrough,
Nothing Left to Lose, he's embraced the sound of the now. Back then, it was a hybrid of
Coldplay and
John Mayer, but in 2018, hip singer/songwriters melded their music to fit the hazy contours of EDM-inflected introspection.
Crazytalk,
Kearney's fifth album, glides by easily: apart from the occasional attention-grabbing, sped-up sample, this is blissed-out reflection that's suited for any time of day, whether it's coming down after a night out or easing into a morning.
Kearney spikes his songs with enough cultural references to stay lively -- "Strumming on a ukulele/She said you sound a little like
Coldplay" -- but the content of the songs isn't the point: the vibe is. On that scale,
Crazytalk delivers well, maintaining its chill from beginning to end. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine