Matt Maltese progresses through the endless layers of affection and desire with his new single, "Pined For You My Whole Life," a landscape-stressing excerpt from his latest album, Hers. Pouring his heart into a shifting, Motown-rich ensemble alternating between heartache and scrappy romantic frankness, "Pined For You My Whole Life" finds Maltese continuing his streak of processing undiluted feeling into an ageless melody.
Built around a smooth bass line and delicate piano flourishes, Pined For You My Whole Life develops a lush, cinematic landscape where Maltese's heartfelt lyricism can take center stage. His voice, filled with longing and dampened heartache, urges an old ache back into consciousness, best articulated by the line, "I fell in your hands. It changed the world, a challenge that meant to want you more." It's a moment of vulnerability clothed in melody, an exploration of the push-pull of desire that remains after love settles in.
"Pined For You My Whole Life" beauty lies in its romantic desperation and sensuality in that longing is painful, yes, but also poetic. But instead of succumbing to despair, Maltese creates a song that revels in the satisfaction of feeling so intensely, offering an experience that feels at once reminiscent and new.
With "Pined For You My Whole Life," Matt Maltese yet again shows few of the nuances of human interaction quite like him. This latest single can only further solidify his place as one of the most captivating voices in contemporary songwriting as anticipation for Hers builds.