Proud Ohio-bred DIY artist M Ross Perkins has been writing, recording, and producing his own music since his self-titled psychedelic debut arrived in 2016. Since then, his psychedelic tendencies have blossomed into a lo-fi pop prowess that is undeniable. Ross’s ability to craft infectious melodies while crooning about the woes of the world and his unique perspective have carved him a distinct lane in pop music, one that is free from the burden of ensuring everything is commercially viable. Although it’s not unreasonable to picture his music cracking the Billboard charts, his melodies are earworms, and his sinfully sweet voice cascades around the listener as if they’re standing under a sonic waterfall. Far be it from anyone to speak for Ross’s intentions, but it would appear that success is coming his way regardless of where the genre of pop feels the need to place him.
His latest effort, though, brings us a bit closer to understanding Ross, as he releases a deeply vulnerable and relatable LP brimming with confessional writing hidden under jangly, loose melodies. What’s the Matter, M Ross arrives on May 2. It will take longtime fans of Ross one step deeper into the artist’s world while enticing newcomers to explore his complexity. The 15-song LP feels like more than another quaint, empathetic outing for Ross. These songs are conversational, as if Ross is writing as a last-ditch effort to make sense of the world that has left him heartbroken and confused since he introduced himself to it nearly a decade ago. While the world Ross pens about has been slow to change, What’s the Matter, M Ross finds the artist progressing without it, elevating the emotional depth of his writing and setting this moving poetry to an array of pop-laden, downtrodden, jazzy instrumentation.
The album’s narrative is centered around the multiple “Saccade” interludes, which feature what appear to be open, anonymous criticisms of Ross. During these moments, harmonies of both negative and positive comments are thrown at the artist, and his responses can be found in these songs. Rather than taking the harshness of these confessions as a given, it seems that Ross interprets them as misunderstandings, and he’s using What’s the Matter, M Ross as a confessional to dispel these notions by opening up his heart and writing from the depths of his soul.
The album kicks off with the uplifting bounce of “Hey Man/Hey Self,” a love letter to self-analysis and self-acceptance. The warm opener, while a strong highlight of the LP, feels like a misdirect as Ross quickly turns to heartbreaking balladry drenched in longing and nostalgic pop. “Crying In My Sleep” has Ross reaching back to his childhood in an attempt to understand his current emotional state, and doing so with some mystifying vocal harmonies. “Baby, My Bad” is a moving love song dedicated to the wrongs you can’t see when they’re happening in the moment, disguised as a breezy, surf-rock-tinted anthem.
Ross has always toyed with the juxtaposition of tragic lyrics and bright melodies, but on What’s the Matter, M Ross, the artist mastered this formula. Ross’s latest album is a consistent effort that shows the artist letting his guard down and welcoming listeners into the many moving parts of his mind. Miraculously, even as Ross finds a home in these lighthearted arrangements, the album never feels repetitive. What’s the Matter, M Ross finds the artist exploring the nuances of his sound and unearthing an entirely new side of artistry, one that has grown tired of the mystique and would rather lay everything out in the open. The answer to the question posed in the album’s title is not a simple one, but Ross attempts to address it across 15 pieces of poignant pop.
