We are very familiar with MaTare, and in fact, we did write about ‘That’s What People Do’ only last month, describing it as “an interesting change from MatAre’s usual programming”. Drenched in obscure and gloomy new wave references, the single opened new lyrical horizons for the Atlanta-based talent, fiercely reflecting on his country’s political landscape and society’s increased polarisation. ‘I Could Kill You But I Love You’ continues on the same theme, delving deeper into the contrasting feelings when dealing with people of opposed views.
Sonically, we are not that far away from the previous single; perhaps there’s a touch of brightness, as we get back to slick indie and chillwave territories. That said, MatAre appears very comfortable with catchy guitar riffs and roaring drum grooves, all qualities that work well with his malleable, towering vocal tone. There’s a fun easter egg in the record, with the motif ‘Let’s Dance’ offering a not-so-hidden tribute to the late David Bowie.
Celebrated as a ‘passive aggressive song’ by MatAre himself, ‘I Could Kill You But I Love You’ it’s certainly an alluring piece, one that showcases once again the complexity found in the US’ contemporary landscape. Delving deeper into the single, MAtAre continues: “Picture on the right a group of trashy, ignorant, uneducated people who I hate and who are leading the country in a direction I don’t like and picture on the left three people I love. I say to the people on the right, ‘I could kill you’, and I turn to the people on the left and say: ‘but I love you’.”
Recommended! Discover ‘I Could Kill You But I Love You’ on Spotify:
