When it comes to new music from Mat Kearney, the Oregon native shares a record with his audience approximately every three years. Typically, he has not put out much music in between full albums, but since his self-titled project came out back in 2024, Kearney has gifted fans with a few standalone singles. The latest of these tracks is "Catch a Fire," a song that reaches just over three minutes in length but is one that listeners easily could spend significant time playing as the year progresses.

Of his previous work, "Catch a Fire" likely would fit best on an album like January Flower and draws comparisons to a cut like "Anywhere with You," particularly with the abundant "oohs" in the chorus. Kearney keeps his rap side at bay on this single and sticks just to singing, which ends up fitting the song best. Lyrically, he seeks to break out of the mundane routine of life and create space for special moments, revitalizing the joy he found in first getting to know someone who he now has known for a long time. In the chorus, he sings, "Ooh, I just wanna shed my skin / Ooh, see you with a naked eye again / Wanna hold you up in the light / Lay you down in the pines / Oh, I just wanna catch a fire." The feel good music matches the sentiment of the track nicely, helping the listener participate in these hopes that Kearney has, and want to pursue this joy personally.

With over twenty years making music and a lengthy discography, Mat Kearney has quite the list of quality songs. Still, if this reviewer went to see Kearney in concert, he would enjoy hearing this latest release from the established artist, a testament to the strength of the track and the feeling it brings. As fans await the songwriter's next record, "Catch a Fire" gives them a perfect spring and summertime single to tide them over and sing along to until it comes.