Matthew Schultz (@mschultz33) ft. Alessia Guarnera (@alessiaguarnera) – Crazy Heart

Crazy Heart is a laid-back but emotive hip-hop ballad about a troubled relationship, propelled by funky acoustic guitar and snappy finger clicks. It builds gradually, we don’t hear a kick drum enter until two minutes in, and grabs your attention from the start. Rather than huge layers of production, Crazy Heart lets the song do the talking, the vocals taking prominence over a fairly sparse but effective backing.

Vocal duties are shared with the breathy, soulful voice of Alessia Guarnera, who brings to mind a cross between Janis Joplin and Rihanna. Alessia, from Brooklyn, New York, is the daughter of producer Armando and a singer-songwriter in her own right. She carries the memorable hook of the song, which it begins with, singing poignant lines such as ‘You build me up, you break me down, I never know my place…’.

Her high-register vocals are contrasted nicely by Schultz’ deep, gravelly tones, who details two lovers in turmoil in the verses. The lyric depicts two people very much in love, but struggling to remain faithful in the face of temptation.

@mschultz33 & @alessiaguarnera
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matthewbschultz
I.G. @matthewbschultz