Matt & Kim Bring The Thunder With “Lightning”

By: Eric Freedlander –

Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino, the duo better known as Matt & Kim, are hoping that the fourth time is the charm, as their first three albums, Matt & Kim (2006), Grand (2009) and Sidewalks (2010) were all met with some success, but not enough to transition them from indie to mainstream.

From the first track “Let’s Go” to the 10^th track “Ten Dollars I Found,” every song makes you want to get up and dance. “Let’s Go” gives first time listeners a neat introduction to the rest of the album, which is filled with Matt’s synthesizer and keyboard melodies, accompanied by Kim’s fast paced beats on the drum.

The strongest song is the second track, “Now.” If there could be an anthem for an album, this track would perfectly articulate what the Brooklyn based duo was aiming for on this album. If you like drummers having a prominent role on a song, this is a track we recommend you listen to. It’s worth noting however, that the third track “It’s Alright” is also incredible. On first listen, it’s like listening to one song. Almost to suggest, that “Now” and “It’s Alright” sound so similar, that you wouldn’t realize Matt & Kim had recorded a whole different song.

For diehard Matt and Kim fans, “Overexposed” is one you will enjoy. In 2009, while recording the music video for “Lessons Learned,” the duo showed off Brooklyn’s finest, as they stripped naked in Times Square. “Overexposed” sounds as though Matt’s lyrics are in reference to the video, “Like a picture I was overexposed, believe me I saw you with my eyes closed.” One can take those lyrics to suggest Matt was singing about Kim and his experience shooting a nude video.

Lightning has the potential to be the most successful of the duo’s quartet of albums. In fact, “Let’s Go” and “Now” are good enough songs to make FM radio top 30 countdowns as well as being played in gyms across North America. However, their extensive use of synths and keyboard melodies, and Kim’s fast paced drum beats have all lost their original charm and now they must look towards new dynamics going forward.

Essential Tracks: “Let’s Go,” “Now,” “Overexposed.”