Returning with a new take on his folk-pop sound, Matt Epp released his full-length album, Ready in Time, on June 23. The record was foreshadowed by his EP Luma last October. Hailing from Winnipeg, Epp’s Canadian content has been showcased on CBC Music this past month. The songs off Ready In Time maintain a lighter pop sound, despite their serious undertones that diverge from his folk roots.
Epp’s songs follow a narrative style; they tell the listener a story. His sound for this album is mellow and relaxed, with some catchy guitar riffs thrown in. He has power behind his vocals, and he shows that off in songs like “Aftermath” and “Cash & Blood.”
What this album does lack is some cohesion between the themes of the songs. Half of the songs, such as “Let Her Know,” “Go Somewhere,” and “Something Better” seem to address themes of relationships and love, straying the furthest from his original folk sound. Other songs such as “Ready In Time,” “Hard to Say,” and “Cash & Blood” deal with more serious themes and work with a stronger narrative.
“Ready In Time” and “Hard To Say” have clichéd narratives, which feel too simplistic, and as if they are attempting to be more moving than they actually are. “Let Her Know” and “Cash & Blood” have been done before as well. A man loses a girl in “Let Her Know” because he doesn’t value her, and surprise, the “good guy” swoops in and wins her over because he admitted to his feelings. That has been sung before. In “Cash & Blood,” the guilt of first world living when people across the world are suffering feels like too obvious a choice for a “deeper” theme.
Just because the lyrics can be simplistic or cliché at times doesn’t mean the album isn’t enjoyable though. “Cash & Blood” consistently gets stuck in my head, and Matt Epp provides us with some catchy choruses. If you’re interested in some light, fun, summer tunes, there are definitely a few tracks on this album for you, as well as some more thoughtful pieces for you to mull over.
