Review: Matt Skiba & the Sekrets – Kuts

Matt Skiba & the Sekrets
Kuts

Superball Music
Street: 06.01
Matt Skiba & The Sekrets = Alkaline Trio + David Bowie

After garnering success with Babylon in 2012, Matt Skiba & the Sekrets have returned with a radically different approach from their debut. Kuts creates a late ‘70s darkwave essence that correlates perfectly with Skiba’s voice. Though the album is littered with brooding melodies, it’s not completely void of tongue-in-cheek, zero-tolerance advances—“She Said” comprises a catchy chorus that contains the lyrics, “Shut up you fucking know-it-all / I’ve had it with your shit / You don’t know when to shut your mouth and you don’t know when to quit!” “I Just Killed to Say I Love You” holds its own with its goosebump-inducing melodies and cryptic lyrics that make it a standout track. Kuts bolsters a sound of its own with its inclusion of synth-based melodies reminiscent of the Hunky Dory days of David Bowie combined with Skiba’s signature voice and heartbreaking lyrics. –Eric U. Norris