Matt & Kim

Matt and Kim give us the kind of music that we can’t help but love—the super-happy, hand-clapping, impromptu-dance-party kind. With their third album, Sidewalks, the relentlessly energetic pop-punk duo once again delivers their signature upbeat sound, but in a polished manner. Synthesized beats take center stage on Sidewalks, which has depth, variety and the ring of a band who has reached a good balance of maturity and youthful carelessness.

Their first album, the self-titled Matt and Kim, was a raw introduction to the group’s breakneck intensity, while their sophomore effort, Grand, reached a more developed note. With Sidewalks, Matt and Kim take a grander and more ambitious approach, successfully combining the pep and refinement of their previous works.

Each song has a distinct beat, with a wide range of styles apparent, from the rap-influenced “Cameras” to the rock ballad “Silver Tiles.” Other instrumental sounds, like bells in “Wires” and tambourines in “Northeast,” add an additional layer of diversity. Matt also simultaneously highlights and complicates his characteristically simple lyrics by switching up his singing style from song to song.

The duo never reaches its typical manic pace in any of the tracks on Sidewalks—but that’s not a bad thing. With a different focus this time around, the self-control is appreciated. There’s a concern that only so much can be done with two people and a synthesizer, but Matt and Kim prove that they have more new material up their sleeves. Most importantly, they haven’t lost the ability to make us want to get up, clap our hands and dance.

—Christina Malliris