Alt-pop singer-songwriter Matthew John premieres "Crooked" on Popdust.
Based in Los Angeles, John wrote "Crooked" after finding out his now ex-boyfriend was doing drugs and cheating on him with an array of guys he hooked up with via Craigslist. Now, engaged to someone else, John's desire for "Crooked" is simple: "I really hope I can make someone who has been in a similar situation feel less alone, and heal."
Recorded in Nashville, "Crooked" was produced by Christian Fiore, and mixed by Alex Lipshaw of the band HeyMonday.
"Crooked" opens with emerging synths flowing into a pulsing pop-flavored tune with an R&B texture. The groaning synth accents add tight sonic nuance and aching tension.
John's sumptuous voice switches from a hushed to a radiant falsetto, mellow and sonorous. Wafting background harmonies permeate the music with velvety patterns. The mood and feel of the song is complex: amused indifference, unforgiving disdain, and a substratum of distrust and foreboding.
"Crooked" is superb, exuding a tight intensity, a contagious surge of harmonics, and Matthew John's expressive voice.
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Randy Radic is a Left Coast author and writer. Author of numerous true crime books written under the pen-name of John Lee Brook. Former music contributor at Huff Post.
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