Score: 2.5/5 
If the option was available, I’m sure many people would want to go back to the simplicity of being a child.
Four years since his last album, Mat Kearney returns with his new work “Just Kids,” focusing on the youth and innocence he once had.
It’s lighthearted and upbeat, staying true to his classic style while getting back in touch with his hip-hop side in a new, creative way.
Kearney opens up about his personal experiences through the use of heavy pop and electronic influences. The shift in style isn’t too drastic as he’s still the same melancholy artist he always was—just evolved.
The record starts with “Heartbreak Dreamer,” a song channeling specific experiences during Kearney’s life from age 19 to 25.
He dedicates the song to all of the dreamers, which includes a variety of people who’ve gotten the short end of the stick in life. It’s a sappy reminder saying people are important no matter what role they’ve played.
Halfway through the album is “Let It Rain.” It’s a similar anthem to the opening song in the sense of relishing the ups and downs life has.
“There’s a time meant for war, there’s a time meant to pray. There’s a time when all you can say is let it rain,” Kearney sings.
Further down in the tracks is the only collaboration on the album, “The Conversation.” It’s a duet between Kearney and singer Young Summer which functions almost like a sincere exchange between a couple.
The duo sings about the whirlwind of problems present in their relationship, but hold on to the hope they will overcome them.
To close the album, “Shasta” is a classic Kearney song with a slow melody, featuring allusions to Robert Frost’s “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening.”
“Because we got miles left to go to a place that I don’t know. One last time through the woods in my old neighborhood,” Kearney sings.
Overall, this album is more than I expected from Kearney. It’s honest and transparent, allowing listeners to relate to him on at least one or more of the 13 tracks.
“Just Kids” serves as a reminder to pay attention to the simpler aspects of life and relish in them.