By: James Southworth
Rating: 1.5/5 Stars
Matty Mullins, most known for being the vocalist of Memphis May Fire, is someone that I have a lot of respect for. It's never easy being a Christian on a secular label that often looks down on religion. But Matty has never been afraid to be outspoken about his faith, although admittedly he's done it more cleverly at times ("The Hollow"), while at other times his lyrics can tread on being a little too preachy ("Unconditional"). But still, I love that Matty is unashamed in his faith, and has tried to use MMF to bridge the gap between secular and Christian audiences. It's certainly admirable. It didn't surprise me too much when Matty decided to start a solo project. His debut album was overall decent. I'd even say songs like "Back to Square One" and "Glory" can compete with some of the best songs MMF has done. But the album does also offer some generic material such as "My Dear" and the overly poppy "99% Soul". Recently, I've had quite a few problems with Matty. I absolutely hated the most recent MMF album (in fact, it was ranked number 2 on my worst albums of 2016). This new solo album is unfortunately worse than that album, meaning it's the worst thing I've ever heard coming from Mullins.
There are very few positives to be mentioned in this album. No song on here can be construed as anything interesting or great. The only song on here that I can say I enjoy is "The Great Unknown". Mullins' vocal talent shows more on this song than any other and the lyrics are decent. I wouldn't complain if this song popped up on Christian radio. The beginning track "Say It All" is passable. The lyrics do feel like they are trying to connect to the audience in a legitimate way instead of pandering. The rest cannot be said for the rest of this album.
In an interview with JesusFreakHideout, Matty admitted that a lot of what he listens to now is on Christian radio stations. That is most certainly reflected through all of this album, as pretty much every other song checks every box for what is needed to have success on Christian radio. "I Choose You" is a great example of this, as it starts off with some annoying vocal effects (it seems that now a lot of Christian radio is doing that in an attempt to sound like top 40 billboard charts). The only instrumentation is some piano playing, but it is absolutely drowned by the overbearing electronic effects; the piano might as well not even be there. Matty's vocals are processed to no end; his voice sounds disingenuous as a result. It feels like he has no passion in the lyrics he's saying, but that could also be because these lyrics spout off multiple Christian cliches. The title track "Unstoppable" is the worst track on this whole album, just because it tries to be upbeat but somehow fails in every aspect. Matty once again sounds bored, and the the chorus is forcing its dance-pop feel so much that it comes across as annoying more than anything else. I'm not the biggest fan of Jordan Feliz, and his feature is awful here, as he and Matty sound way too similar. This song points out a problem with a lot of Christian male solo artists at this point: you can't tell them apart. And oh man, the lyrics of this song are cringe worthy: "Through the night/In the darkest times/I believe his light still shines/This love is unstoppable". Is there any real truth about God found in these lyrics? No, there isn't; instead it's just comfortable happy-go-lucky sentiments about God that will work perfectly on Christian radio. It would be an understatement to say I despise everything about this song.
It's a struggle to listen to this album because of just how explicit Matty is in letting everyone know how much he wants to have success on the radio. "Go the Distance" and "Christ Be Magnified" both sound like they could be right at home on any other worship album. They both express a lot of sentiments about God that I've heard plenty of other times. Just consider these lyrics in "Go the Distance": "Lord, You hear my every cry, and You come running every time". Or how about these lyrics in "Christ Be Magnified": "The heavens reign/Declaring all the fathers majesty/And we believe/In his son". These exact phrases have been stated by so many other Christian artists, and they don't work any better in this album. It's especially disheartening coming from Matty, who I know has written smart lyrics about God in the past (just consider Matty's broken prayer for redemption in "The Sinner" or his admission to God about his addiction to alcohol in "Vices"). Another contributing factor to how generic this album feels is that it was made under BEC Records. It's saddening to think that Matty actually wanted to sign with this label. I think it's because he know their label makes money. They churn out the same type of CCM songs every year, and he is now a part of that sickening cycle. If Matty thinks that the music he's making is of a high caliber, then he is delusional. More forgettable tracks appear in the acoustic-led "Brand New Fire" and all three closing tracks, which all come and go without leaving any sort of impact.
As you can tell, I'm struggling to really say much about this album besides on recurring thing: it's generic and boring. I wouldn't have written a review about this album if it wasn't for the fact that I wanted to vent how sad I am at the road that Matty has went down. He used to be able to bring audiences together in Memphis May Fire, especially in one of the best metalcore albums out there, "The Hollow". But, now he's only interested in pandering to a radio Christian audience, as was evidenced in "This Light I Hold" and now his newest solo effort. I am glad that Matty wants to be bold in his faith. But, this album is going to get lost in the huge garbage pile of CCM albums that are all out there. A lot Christian radio music is in a sad state, and it's artists like Matty Mullins who only serve to validate it, and make radio audiences think what they are listening to is fine. For that reason, I can't respect this record.
Favorite Songs: "The Great Unknown", "Say It All"
Least Favorite Songs: "Unstoppable", "Christ Be Magnified", "I Choose You", "Go The Distance", "Brand New Fire", "Until I Need You"
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