Kevin Zarnett - Letting You Break My Heart

Kevin Zarnett

Letting You Break My Heart
self-released; 2023

4.0 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

On May 24th, 2023, Kevin Zarnett will release his newest single called "Letting You Break My Heart." The record's musical foundation blends The Byrds with Motown, combining a jangly 12-string electric guitar with an upbeat and lively backbeat. The heartwarming harmonies, background vocals and unique guitar riffs reflect decades of pop rock underdogs like Big Star, The Raspberries, and Marshall Crenshaw. The recording is filled with delightful ear candy moments throughout without feeling cluttered, all delivered at the right moments. 

According to Zarnett the chorus for the song came to him out of the blue, complete with the lyrics "I thought there was a limit / And you were bound to hit it / But I go on and on letting you break my heart." However, it took him several years to complete the song. Kevin shared, "I wasn't sure how to proceed. Every year, the chorus would resurface in my mind, and I would try to decipher its meaning." The original chords for the chorus came from the fun idea of descending the bass note chromatically while changing chords. Starting the verse with a minor chord finally gave Zarnett some direction, and discovering something different for the fourth chord of the verse gave him the push needed to finish the song.

The song starts with some beautiful sounding guitar and bass which is quickly followed by bass and drums. Everything sounds silky smooth and Zarnett’s voice is fantastic here. The groove is well done and I was definitely picking up on the sound of The Byrds but done in his own style. It’s also a catchy tune with some inventive production techniques. For instance, the vocal harmonies around the two-minute mark sound quite heavenly. The song reaches its peak towards the end with repeating melodies that crescendo. There’s a well done guitar solo which was a good way to close things out.

​This song felt familiar but novel at the same time. I picked up on a number of genres here but Zarnett does enjoy revitalizing the genres with a contemporary energy and approach. There’s a lot to appreciate here.

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