Search - Matt Nathanson :: Some Mad Hope

Best Album to Date

L. Yamada | New York, NY USA | 08/14/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While amazing live, Matt Nathanson's studio albums have lacked the passion that he puts into his live shows. His major label debut, Beneath These Fireworks, was a good try but every time I listen to it, I feel like there's something missing. In Some Mad Hope, he comes the closest to capturing the passion that has fans flocking to his live shows.



The album isn't nearly as bad as Amazon.com's Don McLeese makes it out to be. Don't let this misinformed review deter you from checking out the album yourself. 'Wedding Dress' is not "aspiring to become a first-dance standard." It's a song about divorce. Anyone who picks it for a first dance is completely misguided.



The lyrics to the chorus of 'All We Are' are not "and every day's a star/something beautiful." It's "every day's the start of something beautiful." Still cheesy? Contestable. But for me, the lyrics "Went broke believing that the simple should be hard" make up for the chorus. With Nathanson's songwriting, for every possibly cheesy lyric there is an equally cool one (ie. "You know I'll still say your name to fall asleep/Over and over/A cynic saying rosary/A liar living make believe" - 'Detroit Waves').



The lyrics from 'Bulletproof Weeks' are not "What happened to feeling cheap radio songs?" either. I'm not saying that I know more than McLeese, but his review could really have used some simple double checking. http://www.prettytheworld.com/index.php?m=music&c=lyrics would have fixed these mistakes right away.



The album does have weak moments ('Come On Get Higher' doesn't quite get to the level it promises to) but there are a lot of good things about it. It's a big step forward for Nathanson - though, in order to really get an understanding of him, it's necessary to see him live.



My favorite tracks: 'Heartbreak World,' 'Still,' 'Falling Apart'"

Best CD to Date. A Must Have for Any Music Lover.

Matthew W. Paradise | Indianapolis, IN United States | 08/31/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had heard most of these songs from his concert and bootlegs, but unlike his last ...Fireworks CD these tracks are just as good as their live versions.



Make no mistake though, it's not because they sound the same. They sound totally different. A Matt show has all the great acoustic comforts of an intimate coffee shop, personal musical outpouring, accompanied with great crowd rapport and overall fun. This CD captures the essence of what makes those Matt live songs so great, takes it, refines it, shines it and purifies it, bottling it up in a nice package for us to consume at home, all without the loss of any of the elements that make his live songs so great. And the additives, while noticed, go well with the traditional raw Matt Nathanson flavor we've all come to to know, love and even get addicted to.



If you love acoustic coffee shop style heartfelt music, then you will love this CD. When you go to the concert and hear the songs live later on you will enjoy them even more.



I am thrilled that the production version came out so well.

"

A sophisticated Matt, glorious, emotional and wonderful

Emily E. Brown | Northern CA, USA | 09/24/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It shows that Matt took a while to write and develop this album. The finished product is amazingly smooth, emotional, and whole. There's a range of sound, from his approach to doing a song in styling of one of his greater influences, to the simple yet beautiful acoustic guitar along to which Matt sings sweetly and convincingly. If you're a Matt Nathanson fan, then you probably already know this is a "must have" to add to your collection. If you're new to Matt Nathanson, this is a great introduction, which will make you want to hear all of his other amazing albums."