While I’m an avid viewer of The X Factor, I don’t think I’ve ever bothered to listen to any of the winner’s albums. They typically have little more than the performances on the show recut, and while I’ve enjoyed those at the time, I’ve rarely been in a hurry to hear them again. But this year we had Jess & Matt, an act that is so special that when I was sent a streaming copy of their self-titled debut album, I couldn’t wait to hit play.
Yes, this largely follows the same formula of other post-X Factor releases. We get the act in a studio to recreate what they did in the show just in time for a Christmas release. But the creativity of Matt & Jess, and mentor Guy Sebastian, makes this a little more than just an album of covers. Anyone who’s seen the show will know how under Guy’s guidance, the duo put their stamp on classic songs like “Dancing in the Dark,” “Heart of Glass,” and “You’re the One That I Want,” as well as newer tracks like “Lay Me Down” and “Do You Remember.”
The visuals were significant component of those performances, whether it was watching elaborate staging from Square Division or simply the couple gazing into one another’s eyes. That’s gone when you listen to the album, but nothing can take away the way these two voices harmonise so beautifully. Separately they’re already exceptional, but together, sublime. When we first heard the single “Nothing Matters” my husband and I felt Jess & Matt deserved a better song, and it still stands out as the weakest track on this album. But to sweeten the deal there’s also exceptional covers of two songs not performed on the show “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight” and “Sister Golden Hair.”
Given that this is the post-X Factor release, it’s probably only going to reach the ears of those who only admired Jess & Matt on the show. But it deserves to be heard much more widely than that. I imagine everyone from the cool kids who listen to acoustic covers on Spotify to my parents really digging what Jess & Matt do. I urge you to take a chance on this album, because it’s much more than simply a snapshot of time spent on a reality TV show.