EP Review: Love of Mine // Matthew Thomas Hope

Using his natural talent for music, multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Matthew Thomas Hope is on a solo journey to share his sensitive music with the masses. Embracing music at a young age, Matthew found himself immersing himself in the Georgia local music scene at age 13. It was later that the US-based artist began writing songs and at 18 he went in search of a career in music. Personal experience would inspire his pen and Matthew Thomas Hope was (actually, is) one of the more creative storytellers to pass my virtual desk. The latest addition to his well-received discography is Love of Mine.

The follow-up to his upbeat pop debut single ‘I’d Go Anywhere’, ‘Love of Mine’ is a more tranquil acoustic-inspired track. Using a simplistic combination of raw vocals and acoustic guitar, Matthew shares a tale of love and loss. He explains that the inspiration was “conversations with an old friend over drinks one night in Nashville, only to discover just a few short weeks later that this same friend had passed away after a struggle with their mental health”. Matthew certainly captures the fragility of his and his friend’s life in the tender attitude of ‘Love of Mine’. Sentimental and heartfelt, listening to this track feels as if you are stepping into the private spaces in one’s mind with delicate tentativeness.

Alongside ‘Love of Mine’, the second track off the EP is ‘Cora’. A slightly more upbeat or toe-tapping single than ‘Love of Mine’, ‘Cora’ envokes elements of Nashville country in its sound. While there is a certain Billy Ray Cyrus to the instrumentation, Matthew’s Bryan Adams-esque vocals add a huskiness to the song. As with ‘Love of Mine’, the track was inspired by his conversation with an old friend drawing parallels of struggles in their lives. Matthew stated that he was “so inspired by my friend’s journey” and used a personal narrative to share that inspiration through song. Sadly, as I mentioned above, the friend passed away resulting in more introspective music.

Overall, I quite enjoy Love of Mine. It is heartfelt, sincere and brutally honest drawing on issues that need to be discussed. This may only be his sophomore release but I cannot wait to see what else Matthew Thomas Hope has in store.