Almost Everyday

Unlike the albums that came before it, Matt and Kim's sixth album ALMOST EVERYDAY was born of suffering and frustration. The normally giddy duo was forced off the road and into inaction by a gruesome knee injury Kim suffered on-stage while leaping off her drum riser. The surgery and recovery led the duo to think some deep thoughts about growing older, settling down, and mortality, and this reflective feeling bled into the album. The ordeal also served to strengthen their bond and, when the lyrics aren't posing questions about life, they detail the very public love affair Matt and Kim share. Ironically, while ALMOST EVERYDAY is the band's most thoughtful and personal album, they brought in number of friends to help out with vocals. Santigold, Kevin Morby, Kevin Ray from Walk the Moon, Dave Monks of Tokyo Police Club, King Tuff, and Mark Hoppus are all on board to holler along with Matt on the uplifting choruses. It gives the songs a warm and communal feel that goes well with the hopeful nature of the album. Matt may be asking some big questions, but he answers them in a typically positive fashion, whether he's fending off thoughts of death ("On My Own"), getting uncharacteristically nostalgic ("Like I Used to Be"), or wondering "Where Do We Go from Here?" The songs are more in debt to hip-hop than ever before, and there's not a single uptempo track in the bunch; it's never a drag, though, because the songs have variety and swagger. The two ballads don't disappoint, either, as the a cappella "Happy If You're Happy" is probably the sweetest song they've done and the aforementioned "Where Do We Go from Here?" shows they don't have to rattle the walls to move people. The duo has always been about welcoming the listener in and making them feel like they're part of a fun and inclusive club. ALMOST EVERYDAY is their first album that gives people a look behind the Matt and Kim good-time personae to the hopes, fears, and determination to survive that make them believably, painfully human. ~ Tim Sendra