Chase Matthew: ‘We All Grow Up’ – EP Review

Chase Matthew releases his new EP, We All Grow Up, out now, February 16th, on all streaming platforms. Listen to the brand new project here.

On his new EP, We All Grow Up, Chase Matthew is poetic and nostalgic about the trappings of life in a small town, love, heartbreak, and everything in between. Featuring six new songs, four of which he co-wrote, the project serves as a solid introduction to the Warner Music Nashville artist.

For the Nashville native with a well-publicized troubled past, the EP reflects overcoming adversity for something greater, which included a March 2023 Opry Debut. This summer, the young star will also hit the road with Jason Aldean, continuing his meteoric rise as he cleverly blends hip hop infused beats with a country twang.

“This project has been a blast to put together. Each one of these songs makes you feel something,” shares Matthew. “‘We All Grow Up’ feels reminiscent. ‘Small Town Shit’ might make you feel like a hometown badass. ‘Darlin” is one of my favorites because I’ve been in that situation before. I’ve had a great time working on this one with some great friends. Can’t wait for y’all to hear it!”

The EP opens with the title track, a nostalgic throwback that is sure to win over legions of new fans. On the mid-tempo anthem, Matthew shares a poetic look at the kids he grew up with, admitting that they all took different paths. “Some left town and some got stuck, It takes a whole lotta God, a little bit of love,” He sings. “But we all settle down and we all grow up.”

Similar themes weave through tracks like “Small Town Shit” and “Dirt Road Does.” On the former, which is remnant of tracks like Kane Brown’s “Bury Me in Georgia” or Aldean’s “Burnin’ it Down,” the newcomer booms through a barn burner as he celebrates all the things that make small towns special. Alternatively, the album’s closing track, “Dirt Road Does,” shows a more vulnerable side of the singer-songwriter as he likens his love to a dirt road, and while it shouldn’t work, it absolutely does. Over a sparse guitar ballad, he muses  “I thank God everyday for the both of you // Yeah your brown eyes and a two lane windshield view // When I’ve been gone too long // You both know how to take me home.”

“Darling” finds him suspicious of a girl on the hip-hop infused track that finds him channeling Brown and Sam Hunt as he questions her.  “If he’s just a friend, then why’s he always calling?” He asks on the earwormy track. “Why’s he call you darling, Why’s he call you daily?”

“Make You Miss Me” and “I Don’t Carolina” both find Matthew dealing with heartbreak. On “Miss Me,” he wants her to regret the end, while “I Don’t Carolina” turns to clever lyrics as he deals with a breakup with a Carolina girl. On the moving heartbreak ballad, he name drops cities like Charlotte, Raleigh and the Outer Banks before going anywhere to escape her.  “I’ll head to Texas, Times Square,” He proclaims. “Anywhere I won’t find ya, ‘Cause I don’t Carolina.”

On We All Grow Up, Chase Matthew is sure to continue his meteoric rise to stardom, and it’s only a matter of time before he’s filling arenas on his own.

We All Grow Up EP Tracklist:

1. We All Grow Up
2. Darlin’
3. Making You Miss Me
4. I Don’t Carolina
5. Small Town Shit
6. Dirt Road Does

Country Swag Picks:

1. We All Grow Up
2. Darling
3. Dirt Road Does

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about future Chase Matthew releases.

For tour dates and more, visit the singer-songwriter’s website here. He’ll be hitting the road with Jason Aldean this summer as part of the Highway Desperado Tour, with stops at Jones Beach on July 12 and PNC Bank Arts Center on July 13.

To keep up with Chase Matthew, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook.

We All Grow Up EP is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released music on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.