By Daniel Warren Hill
In the same way that multiinstrumentalist Shawn Mathews blends traditional and modern instrumentation to achieve a multigenre sound rooted in pop, rock, and R&B, in “MIC CHECK!” he masterfully weaves a sense of swagger and the recognition of our personal limitations through his command of both lyrics and performance.
“MIC CHECK!” gives us a ‘day in the life of’ narrative with observations like, “One day it gets better / One day I’m just lost,” which simulates the push and pull that each day brings, as well as how our expectations for ourselves don’t always match up with the weight and reality of the struggles we are personally facing. You could call Mathews a ‘realist’ since the track is not presented in a one-sided view where victory is inevitable, but it may still be safe to call “MIC CHECK!” an anthem of sorts in the way it accurately portrays the inner dialogue that lets us know we might find the strength even when faced with various doubts.
These kinds of thoughtful examinations contribute to Mathews’ growing number of global listeners. His last single, “Sunshine” has received more than two million plays on Spotify alone since its release in 2021, and we expect “MIC CHECK!” will inspire you to check out more from this Pennsylvania based musician and producer in the days to come. Find it below, or on the Alchemical Records Multigenre playlist on Spotify.
Daniel Warren Hill is an American musician, writer, and motivational speaker. He is best known as the frontman for Washington DC area Alternative Rock band YellowTieGuy, as co-founder of Capitol Groove Collective, and increasing the exposure of artists on a global scale through his work with Alchemical Records.
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Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
