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On his second album, City of Black and White, Mat Kearney leaves behind any lingering folkie traits, along with any hippie rapping, and dives headfirst into pure AAA songcraft, placing sweet melodies at center stage. Kearney's songs go down easily but that hasn't stopped him from relying on a glistening production that sugarcoats everything he sings, supporting his tunes with lightly looped rhythms, guitars that whisper or echo like the Edge and keyboards so subtle they merely add texture. It's a ProTooled production, but thankfully it's merely mannered, not overly fussy: everything is in its right place, right down to when the fingers squeak on the guitar strings, the subtle tapestry as intrinsic to the album's success as Kearney's gently insistent melodies. While nothing here is attention-grabbing -- that's just not his style -- this is adult alternative mood music of the highest order, a record that might serve up some songs the dedicated can sink their teeth into but is best heard for how it elegantly glides into the background. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
more albums by this artist
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- Nothing Left To Lose
- Released 2006
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- Bullet
- Released 2004
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- Closer To Love (Single)
- Released 2009
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listener reviews
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Missin' the Hip Hop Feel
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- By dominiej
- 6/10/2009 02:51:36
- The follow up to the critically acclaimed "Nothing Left to Lose" Mat Kearney's sophomore album "City of Black & White" is a good feeling album. Gone are the Hip Hop undertones of the first album with Kearney sticking with singing this go around. The Hip Hop, however, gave Kearney an edge that is missing in the new album. His rhyming lyrical chops have been replaced with melodic swells which tends to be a bit bland comparatively speaking with the first album.
All in all, a good album. Not great, but good. - 2 out of 2 people
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