ALBUM REVIEW: Matt M. - Looking Up
- Admin
- Aug 7, 2017
- 3 min read
Matt Montalvo, aka Matt M., delivers an innovative concept album, Looking Up. It revolves around his poem that’s sliced into five parts, interspersed between songs on the record. The Texas native’s debut showcases a spectrum of musical genres ranging from neo-soul, R&B, jazz, and hip-hop. The diverse sound of the LP is laced together by the poem, urging listeners to follow their dreams.
The intro, “Pt. 1” is the shortest. We hear the click of a tape recorder and Matt speaks, “I never listen.” This foreshadows the follow-up rap “Listen,” where Matt breaks down the quitter mentality of the world we live in. “Wrong” details the story of his brother coming out, and the reaction of their parents. The song features Shayne Neal, taking on a similar feel to Macklemore’s “Same Love.”
“Pt. 2” continues the poem, “I never listen / I feel it in a different way, and when I’m wrong / I still take off.” Listeners will appreciate the chill atmosphere “Take Off” provides. “You got trouble on your mind? / just grab the keys to your ride / turn the music on full blast and just vibe / yeah homie, just take off.” Matt M. has “DeJaVu” next, and it’s a banger co-produced by Tone Jones. The rapper is then joined by Billy Young and A-Dre to question “Freedom” over a sample by J. Krishnamurti.
“Pt. 3” begins, “I never listen / I feel it in a different way, and when I’m wrong / I still take off / but now this deja vu’s got me questioning my freedom / still we get up.” Matt champions adulthood on “6 AM.” “I been on some grown ass shit / fuck it, you can’t tell me nothin’ when you’re stuntin’ on that fake shit / actin’ like you made it / got two hundred bottles, but no food is on the table?”
Then, “Pt. 4” dictates the remainder of the album. “I never listen / I feel it in a different way, and when I’m wrong / I still take off / but now this deja vu’s got me questioning my freedom / still we get up, every day at 6 AM / but are we livin’ our vision, or someone else’s?” Matt channels J. Cole on “Visions,” then Citizen King on “Better Days.” Piano chords and a drum kit beat carry "Alright." He reaches the album's emotional core, "everything will be alright / if you don't feel it, I hope one day that you do / 'cause it's true, it's not about what we do / but what we can leave behind / wishin' we had more time / but time just isn't so kind / 'cause once it passes, it's gone / now let's not wait 'till tomorrow."
"Pt. 5" concludes the album with the complete poem: "I never listen / I feel it in a different way, and when I'm wrong / I still take off / but now this deja vu's got me questioning my freedom / still we get up, every day at 6 AM / but are we livin' our vision, or someone else's? / I try to think of the better days and they get me through / but as long as I keep fighting, I’ll leave the rest to the universe / everything will be alright."
Keep up with Matt on Facebook: Matt M. Facebook and Junk Room Music Facebook
Follow Matt on Twitter: Matt M. Twitter and Junk Room Music Twitter
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