CMAT’s new album, If My Wife New I’d Be Dead, is a balancing act between real-life reflection and external escapism.
There’s a swagger to every song on this debut release. CMAT’s delivery is confident, and the lyrics are sharp and snappy. It’s an album full of personality and character, showcased best by single ‘I Don’t Really Care For You’, a cutthroat, smooth and sassy song that’s tender in its introspection, ruthless in its overall message – ‘I just spent seven hours looking at pics of me / Tryin’ to pinpoint where the b*tch began / Somewhere after the Passion of Christ / And before I had an Instagram’.
The album often appears to be self-reflective, CMAT exploring her own emotions and vulnerability through these songs. Opening with ‘Nashville’, the song dreams of leaving behind the mundanities of life and entering a world of freedom, celebrity and celebration. The chorus is euphoric, and is destined to be sung back to CMAT on her upcoming UK tour. Nevertheless, there’s a solemness within the lyrics, the narrator yearning for a new start, a new life. It’s also an ode to Nashville, the Music City, a place that has a heavy influence on CMAT’s songwriting and singing style, despite the album possessing an alt-pop soundscape.
Moments of sadness are scattered throughout, and are perhaps most prominent on ‘Lonely’, CMAT crooning ‘I’m so lonely / I don’t have any real friends‘ with ‘50s style doo-wop backing vocals. The song may be inspired by genuine feelings of loneliness, but it also can be seen to be written from the perspective of a celebrity or worldwide pop star struggling to cope with the sudden rise to fame and the implications that come with it. Perhaps CMAT is empathizing with this experience, or is warning her future self. Either way, it’s a moving dissection.
If My Wife New I’d Be Dead treads the line between mystery, absurdism and reality. Full of earworm hooks, glamorous compositions and nuanced songwriting led by deadly one-liners and clever observations, this release demonstrates that CMAT is the full package and already feels like a classic.
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Tags: CMAT / Debut album / If My Wife New I’d Be Dead