The appeal of certain songs can be rationalised: the melody’s great, the lyrics are meaningful, the chorus is fantastic. But it’s not really our rational selves that are making the decision about whether or not we love a song, or an artist. Our responses to music are immediate and, usually, emotional – ‘I love it’, ‘I hate it’. It’s only then that we try to rationalise why we’ve responded that way, and those rationalisations have meaning, because they come from a place of curiosity. Why do I love that song so much? What are the elements that are so appealing?
So attempts could be made to rationalise why ‘Never Look Back’, the new song from American roots/Americana singer-songwriter Matt Jordan, is great, but it comes down to this: it’s very lovable. (It’s also making its Australian premiere on this site today.) And here are the reasons: there is emotion in this song, and the authenticity of that emotion is in Jordan’s voice; it has a catchy chorus that lingers in the memory; and it’s tight, in that Jordan doesn’t waste time on lyrical or musical flourishes that would obstruct the meaning of the song.
In 2016 Missouri native Jordan released the single ‘Chicago’, which gained him notice in the press and features by The Shotgun Seat and American Songwriter highlighting his country-rock songs. Then he became a father and decided to take some time away from music. This song is his first in three years and while Jordan is likely unknown to Australian audiences, that should change with its release, which will appeal to fans of a few different strands of country music, and of rock.
Listen to ‘Never Look Back’ now on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/mattjordanmusic/never-look-back/s-smYIy
After its official release on 20 September you can find it on:
Apple Music | iTunes | Spotify