Disclaimer: This story mentions the topic of suicide and depression.

In 2020, amidst the chaos of COVID-19 and needing to stay home, my mom searched for music to listen to during those trying times. That night she found an artist by the name Matt Maeson, with a song called “Cringe.” As we researched who he was, we found ourselves loving the folky-grunge lyrics written by him and the heart he put into his music.

Sept. 12, sitting down in our school library years after quarantine was lifted, I pop in my earbuds and click on the link my mom had sent me; an Amazon Music link to Matt Maeson’s “A Quiet and Harmless Living” album that had just dropped an hour before.

Maeson’s new album follows two video releases of “Downstairs” and “Everlasting,” diving into his own personal experience of healing from struggles with self-isolation, religion and depression.

His opening track on the album “A Good Start,” talks about how he met someone who made him analyze who he was, and how he acted. “I finally pulled apart myself and analyzed everything I felt.” Towards the end of the song, he admits he went through a rough patch in his mental health, “I thought about ending it myself/I thought about all my shameful acts.” His raw honesty with his mental health really got to me, even though the song is a bit too slow in tempo.

Track 7 “Split Personality Blues,” is a heavy piece of him talking about his “split personality blues” as a person, describing the pain he’s experienced. He describes his struggles as an artist with the sense of guilt if he’s “not good enough” and how the weight of his success reigns down on him, making his anger and self-hate worsen under pressure. “Be enough/Why can’t you just ****** be enough?” and “You are a bottomless pit I keep falling into/Your insufferable split personality blues.”

My personal favorite “Downstairs” is one of his more popular tracks from this album as it had a video release before the album came out. In the song, he refers to the room he writes his songs in and how he experienced this feeling of self-isolation under the growing pressure of being someone or something. “I don’t wanna sing/I don’t wanna write/I don’t wanna speak/I don’t wanna fight/I just wanna drift away downstairs” and “So I don’t have to be something/to anyone but me” his message speaks to me in the way of “I don’t want to do this and be someone.”

Overall, it is a very emotionally deep and touching album. I prefer his older stuff from “Bank on the Funeral,” “The Hearse” and “Never Had to Leave” as I prefer heavier instruments, but it was a beautiful and eye-opening experience of hearing about his struggles. I loved it for the emotions conveyed, but the instruments leave a lot to be desired for my own preference.

As for the concert on Sept. 27., it was better than I could have ever thought; the energy was impeccable, he kept the energy high and played his more well-known songs. I ended up being in front of very nice people, with a friend of theirs who talked about going to his concerts before. “I’ve gone to three of his concerts, and this will be my fourth,” He said. “He is the best acoustic performer.”

His setlist was amazing, mostly consisting of his earlier music and five songs from his new album. He had the band Slimdan come out for his opening act, playing “Nosebleeds” “Similar Vine” and plenty more. Overall I liked them, they fall more into the country sound so they’re not my exact taste in music but lead singer Danny had funny jokes to tell.

After the concert was done Slimdan sold merch beside Matt Maeson’s stand, and I was able to interview Danny and guitarist/trumpet player Josh.

*Editor’s note: Juni Davila is a student writer. All views expressed in the commentary are her own and are independent of the district, Rouse High School and the publication.