Matthew Ryan Jacobs is thriving in memories and finding a way to make it unmistakably his own on the deluxe edition of his EP, a studio take of “Never Tear Us Apart.” Instead of re-creating a familiar hit, Jacobs treats the song with the care of a lifelong listener, converting memory into something tender, introspective, and freshly breathed.
As part of an expanded release, Jacobs includes several acoustic versions that reveal the emotional heart of his songwriting. In that context, his take on the track feels almost second-nature. Debunked of excess, and aided by warm, considered production, the performance focuses on sincerity itself while allowing the melody to breathe and his vocal pathos to maintain a quiet sense of reverence.
Jacobs’ childhood is the inspiration behind the recording. “Never Tear Us Apart” is a song I have loved my entire life, he says. My older sister had Kick on cassette when I was young, and I remember listening to this song all the time on her little ‘80s boom box in her room. I’ve covered it live a few times over the years, and I said, Let me give this a try in my studio. That personal history silently shapes the recording's atmosphere. Jacobs isn’t just after memories for its own sake, he approaches the song like a dialogue between past and present. The upshot is an interpretation that sounds lived-in and earnest, connecting the emotional heft of the original with the straightforward candor of the deluxe EP.
For listeners who might be coming to Jacobs for the first time, the track provides an unimpeded view of his instincts as an interpreter and a storyteller. For fans who have been with her a while, it’s another reminder that the most potent musical moments often don’t come from reinvention but from authentic connection. Here, he shows that timeless songs still have breath.