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Singer/songwriter Matt Nathanson has been playing the college circuit for quite a few years now, impressing coeds with his energetic live show (which often includes a collection of well-known covers) and heartfelt guitar playing. So those already enamored of Nathanson should have no reason for complaint on his second major-label release -- and sixth overall -- Some Mad Hope. The same themes he's dealt with on his previous albums -- regret and desire, roughly -- are here, the same sentimental lyrics and sweet descriptions of past loves, presented in major keys and with clean production. It's typical stuff but it's done well, mixed so Nathanson's emotive voice comes through clearly. But for these same reasons, those unfamiliar with the musician's repertoire may be unimpressed by his overall ordinariness. His melodies, his lyrics, and his arrangements are hard to distinguish from all the Howie Days, Jason Mrazs, Mat Kearneys, and Ari Hests out there. While Nathanson occasionally has a good line or two ("September took the tourists and settled in for good/We could hear the trains again/Brooklyn girls in scarves"), his lyrics neglect subtlety and nuance completely, opting instead for the obvious and straightforward. Not that everything needs to be shadowed in gray and distant allusions, but yet another "Come on and drive me wild" or "I want to be somebody else" is boring and unoriginal and gets lost in the immense pile of clichés, limiting the album's reasons to be listened to. There are a few bits that stand out (the stripped-down "Bulletproof Weeks," the interesting emotional semi-detachment of "Gone"), but most of Some Mad Hope is inoffensive and unremarkable -- certainly not bad, but only good enough to satisfy longtime fans and not win any new ones. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide
more albums by this artist
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- Beneath These Fireworks
- Released 2003
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- At The Point: Live
- Released 2006
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- When Everything Meant Everything
- Released 2002
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- Still Waiting for Spring
- Released 2000
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listener reviews
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Five Stars
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- By Atomic Willow
- 6/30/2009 19:41:32
- Boasting a mixture of soft rock and gentle acoustics, "Some Mad Hope" is a very thoroughly constructed album.
From the fun and slightly cartoon-esque antics in "To The Beat Of Our Noisy Hearts" to the melancholy of "Bullet Proof Weeks" and of course the brilliance that is "Come On Get Higher", "Some Mad Hope" dips the listener into every feeling the emotional palette has to offer.
Additionally, every song is catchy in it's own way and many of the lyrics are easy to relate to, providing an almost immediate sense of familiarity and bolstering the emotional atmosphere the songs conjure.
In all, the album is a fantastic work (not surprising after its two-and-a-half year production cycle) and has become Nathanson's most popular work to date. Much less a surprise then that I would personally give it five stars. - 1 out of 1 people
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