Rodney, CMAT’s newest single, feels like a warm serving of the favorite dish your mom makes for you when you come back home. It always feels like you haven’t had it in a long time, and tastes of memories and nostalgia. 

The humility of the first few seconds set the tone for the rest of the track almost immediately. The rhythm starts as simple imaginable: snapping fingers and banging fists on a busied kitchen table, accompanied by CMAT’s lamenting chorus. The rhythm is then complimented by a full band that brings the aforementioned nostalgia to a whole new level.

Other than the supporting electronic hats and toms very quietly aiding the acoustic drums, everything in this track feels organic. An endearing bass line travels smoothly, reminiscent of old school Mowtown days, accompanied by a softly-screeching organ (or a string pad, it could really be either or). The song reaches its peak when the harmonies and the horn section come in, bringing the energy to unexpected new levels. The sax punches especially feel welcomed, no matter how intrusive they seem initially, and set smooth accompaniments for the rest of the track. The song feels a bit reluctant in its execution and identity when it starts, but very quickly and incrementally knows its place and its purpose.

This is a throwback song; the production and the instrumentation make that incredibly apparent. While sometimes throwback songs such as these can feel a tad gimmick-y, CMAT’s execution feels rather fresh, despite its context. A lot of these songs have a reliance on that gimmick for the quality, but Rodney feels only vintage in spirit and production. The structure and the ideas make this song feel very modern, which could be welcomed or revered, depending on the listener. It can both be seen as an ultimately unsuccessful attempt at truly bringing back the sounds of late 60s R&B, or a love letter to artists that have clearly inspired CMAT. Regardless of that, though, Rodney is a fun, short song that feels like a change of pace from pop’s other more artificial, plastic offerings. The inclusion of imperfections, such as the lack of distinct vocal tuning, adds so much to the charm of the song, as well as its identity. What CMAT has done here isn’t necessarily new or original, but it’s a fun addition to the vintage-inspired pop catalog nonetheless.

 pop      singer-songwriter 

Author: Nicholas Gaudet

Music producer and writer from Dieppe, Canada.