While there is a Country glaze on his new album, The Frontlines, Matt Malone can accurately be defined as a Singer/Songwriter. Some may even say he falls under the Adult Alternative banner, but labels be damned. With roots in Washington D.C., Matt started playing the piano at the age of 4. An overachiever in some respects, Matt now calls Santa Fe, home.
At 7 songs deep, The Frontlines falls somewhere in between an EP and an LP. The record is a continuation of sorts from Matt’s previous record, which dealt with a breakup and the ensuing themes and emotions. In “Hedge My Bets,” Matt authenticates a hypothetical setting with an emotive and introspective performance. His gentle and passive approach describes his struggle with and subsequent arrival at acceptance. A highly accommodating piece, “Hedge My Bets,” is exemplary of the material on The Frontlines.
Matt softly counts “Silver Hills” in and maintains a slightly hushed tone throughout. He describes adjusting to his new normal, without the one he loved, repeating “I Still Miss You” at the end of every chorus. It is songs like “Silver Hills” that really encapsulates the healing process on this album, making it an essential work. “Five String” hears Matt reflect on his entire journey up to this point. He looks back as far as adolescence, with the line If school taught you anything/it’s how you hate makin’ money.
The Frontlines
Listen to The Frontlines on Spotify. Matt Malone · Album · 2022 · 7 songs.
Conversely, “The Frontlines” hears Matt looking firmly into the future. He realizes what he must discard in order to give himself the fresh start that is now mandatory rather than elective. The high and lonesome-sounding steel guitar gives this one a succinctly poignant quality. In the final act of The Frontlines, “Never Going Back,” hears Matt adds some strings for dramatic effect. It works like gangbusters, as this is where the emotional center of the album pulsates like at no other point. Matt reaches his final resolution and realizes there is now, truly, no going back.
How can something so damn big/ turn out to be so small? Matt asks himself the penetrating questions and speeds up the tempo on “Wait Forever.” One of the best-written songs on the album; this one hears Matt really push himself in all aspects. As a result, “Wait Forever” has clear potential as a single. If there’s one song that’s going to sell you on The Frontlines, it’s “Wait Forever.”
Call it a concept album if you like, but Matt Malone has turned out what will likely be a defining work with The Frontlines. He has chosen not to allow himself to wallow in what’s been lost but to take those lessons and expand his future potential. He allows himself to experience every necessary phase of the process and never tries to rush through them. In doing so, he speaks to those who are encountering something similar and wisely focuses on the solution rather than the problem. After momentarily losing himself, Matt Malone has a new direction and now finds himself in The Frontlines of a brand new day.
Clay Burton