Matthew Heller’s is back with the brilliant album ‘Criticism, Judgement, Heartbreak and Peril’. The release is a mix of rock energy, quirky storytelling and moments of pure emotion. It doesn’t just focus on the vocals, there is a lot of space for the instruments to shine, which makes it a great listen.
It kicks off with “Machine Gun”, a solid rock opener. The echo effect on the vocals is cool and the “mamamamamamachine Gun” chorus is ridiculously catchy. But it’s too short! Just when you’re getting into it, it’s over.
Then, “No Absolutes” immediately grabbed me with the way the sound shifts between left (instruments) and right (vocals). I love when artists play with stereo effects and I was not disappointed here. Beyond that, it’s got some powerful lyrics, inspired by stories of survival and change.
“All She Wanted” is just straight-up fun. The lyrics are cheeky and the xylophone popping in after Heller sings, “I wanted to stay home and play the piano”, is such a clever touch. Then “Miss Conjecture” comes in with a hypnotic beat that’s hard to shake.
Later on, “All I Ever Wanted” flips the perspective after “All She Wanted” and I really liked that. The backstory behind this song is wild. As the artist mentioned… meeting someone who wanted to be a train-robbing, gun-waving dancer? You can’t make that up.
The next few tracks – “High Seven,” “When I’m with You,” and “Bad Idea” – are decent but didn’t stand out as much to me. Then, “Crummy Stuff” slows things down in the best way, with broken-up vocals and a quieter piano vibe that really works.
“You’ll Never Know” is another slow one. It’s nice but it didn’t really stick with me. Then “Charlene” comes in, and honestly, all I could focus on were the killer drums. I didn’t even catch the lyrics because I was so into the beat.
“Goodbye & So Long” has one of my favorite moments on the album. There’s a part after the first chorus where it’s just bass (with a little guitar on top), and it’s perfect. Can I please get a bass-only version of this song?
Towards the end, “Sentinel” dragged a little for me as it felt a bit too long and repetitive. But the following song, “Not the Right Animal”, shook things up with its cool industrial/experimental vibes. It is definitely one of the most unique tracks on the whole album.
Then we close with “Preparing to Cry”, a quieter, piano-led song that puts Heller’s voice front and center. It gives off Elton John vibes and while the lyrics are a little sad, it’s a great way to end the album.
What I really like about this album is how much room the music has to breathe. The vocals don’t overpower everything, the singing works with the instruments instead of fighting for attention.
Overall, the album is a mix of catchy hooks, weird and interesting stories and some experimental touches that make it an engaging listen.
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