Matt and Kim
Sidewalks
Fader

Every indie-dance party playlist from this moment forth should consist of Brooklyn duo Matt and Kim. The New Yorkers have produced the ultimate toe-tapping, rump-shaking music in their third album release, Sidewalks. But if you’re not planning on using it as the soundtrack to a night of liquored-up getting down, you might wonder if you’ve been listening to the same song for the whole damn album.

While the duo originally burst on the indie scene with the success of “Daylight” from previous album Grand, keyboardist Matt Johnson and drummer Kim Schifino’s over-enthusiastic vocals fall short of drawing equal hype this time around.

Sidewalks doesn’t contain thought-provoking lyrics or meaningful chorus lines. Nonetheless, piano-laced singalong numbers like first single “Cameras” and opening track “Block After Block” make up a little for the lack of depth, even with shallow lyrics like, “Eat when you’re hungry and sleep when you’re slipping.”

In fact, the only reason to buy this album would be to add it to your playlist of songs for doing mundane activities that need a little more effervescence. Or if you feel like listening to 35 minutes of hyper keyboarding and the same recurring construction of vocals and uninspired choruses (for this, check out “Where You’re Coming From”). The clapping of hands and beating of drums are merely used as tools to distract the listeners from realizing that these are almost identical to the previous and following songs.

This album, and more specifically fun dance songs like “Wires” and “Red Paint,” will become a part of our guilty-pleasure music category. If the overly sugarcoated and syrupy songs are played enough, expect cavities and the feeling you had when you sat around the Kumbaya campfire in sixth grade.  (5/10)