cd review: matt nathanson's "modern love"

I haven't done a music review in a while. In a long while actually, as in "before this site started". I found a couple old reviews (for Incubus' "Light Grenades" and Fall Out Boy's "Infinity on High") I might post eventually.

But today's review? For Matt Nathanson's latest effort, "Modern Love".

Let's do this. Especially since he's coming to town September 4th (at Sandstone, with Train and Maroon 5. You can bet your sweet ass I'll be there. If I'm willing to drive to Lawrence and endure a night at the Bottleneck to see this guy, I certainly can find a way to sit outdoors on a late summer night with a frosty cold one and enjoy him.)

"Modern Love" by Matt Nathanson.
11 tracks, approximately 39 minutes.

Track 1: "Faster". His current single, and it's good. Great start to the cd*. Has kind of a "Answering Machine" vibe to it, only more up-tempo. Fun song to listen to when you're floating in the pool. Uum, not that I did that last weekend.

Best line(s): verse two:

"it's the way you swell, slow
pushing right out your seams.
it's the way you smile, baby
when you've got me on my knees.

your all night noise,
your siren howl,
you make my heart ... beat ... faster**"

Grade: A-. Tremendous start to this thing.

(*: if you download an entire "cd" on iTunes, is it actually a cd? I'm going with yes, because I have no freaking clue what else to call it, but I'm guessing there's some fancier term for a "cd" downloaded on iTunes.)

(**: love how the lyrics on his site are all in lower case. Attakid!)

Track 2: "Modern Love". If there's a word stronger than "phenomenal" to describe something, that definitely applies to this song. This is by far and away my favorite song on the "cd", and there's still at least two more A's coming up. I think this will be the massive smash hit off this "cd". Really, really catchy sound. And I'm fully aware "Faster" has already reached the Top 5 in the Billboard Hot 100 list.

Plus I kinda dig the whole point of the song -- "this modern love, it's not enough". The idea that maybe our folks really did f*ck society over with their free love ideas, and that our grandparents had it right -- find your soulmate and settle for being happy. (Note: I do not agree with that idea, I'm just saying I can see some merit to it. Although why you can't have both, that you can't start out playing the field, and when you find "the one", be happy with settling, I have no idea. It's the plan I'm on. Eventually it might pay off.)

Best line(s): "one big exhale never did me no good".

Grade: A+. I dare you to not loop this song back at least twice after you first hear it.

Track 3: "Love Comes Tumbling Down". I suppose a letdown was inevitable after the two tremendous opening tracks ... and yet, I wouldn't call this song a letdown. It's just there. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it, it is just there. One of those "I wouldn't fast forward it, but I also wouldn't rewind it" tracks. It's just there.

And you know what? I'm fine with that. A Matt Nathanson song that is just "there" is still better than 99.99% of what is a "hit" on the charts right now. Most modern pop music is absolute crap. And by "most", I mean anything not performed by Usher. This song doesn't fall into that category.

Best line(s): none. It's not a memorable song in any way, shape or form, either good or bad.

Grade: C. A perfectly mediocre effort.

Track 4: "Room at the End of the World". And after a perfectly mediocre, bland effort on the track before, BAM!, right back into the good times. Well, ok, "good times" might be a relative term, considering this song is about rebounding from a breakup, but man, this song kicks grass. Love the upbeat tempo, really catchy lyrics (especially the chorus). Really solid effort.

Best line(s): the first verse ...

"i was weaving with the drunks,
singing sinatra loud.
i let go of love
once it had finally figured me out.

i was buried like a treasure,
but no one ever came to mark the spot.
so i got good at pleasure,
and tying tighter knots."

and the chorus ...

"if the sun don't light,
and the night won't turn,
we'll get a room
at the end of the world.

and we'll rewrite
all the wrongs we've learned
safe in our room
at the end of the world."

Grade: A. Has definite potential to replace "Answering Machine" as the crowd-led anthem that comes out of nowhere at his concerts.

Track 5: "Kiss Quick". Well, I guess at some point there had to be a clunker, and for me, this one is it. It has a kinda catchy sound to it, but it's too damned slow for my tastes. Honestly? This one was very unpleasant to listen to. Definitely will be skip-over country going forward.

Best line(s): none. If I never hear this track again, I can die a happy man.

Grade: D. What can I say, I grade on a liberal curve.

Track 6: "Mercy". Which is what your ears are asking for after the previous track, and this song sorta, kinda delivers it. Liked it going up-tempo again. Really liked what he did with the sound on the verses, and I liked the first half of the chorus.

Having said that ... what the hell did he do with the second half of the chorus? It sounds worse than me in the shower. Not sure if he was trying to go throwback techno there, or is it still modern techno, since his voice sounds like the opening of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face". (Poker? I didn't even kiss her! Come on, I've been waiting all year to drop that line in a posting!)

I'm assuming based on the lyrics that it's an examination of our modern society's infatuation with fame. Specifically, making sure everyone's flames out at 14:59 on the 15 minute clock. And on that basis, it works. But Christ, is the second half of the chorus awful, absolutely awful.

Best line(s): second half of the first verse:

"'cause i'm in no shape
to do what's right.
i see up that's down
and black that's white."

Grade: B. Now watch everyone listen to this song and yell back "what the hell is this guy talking about? That second half of the chorus perfectly fit the song! I love this track!" I can see me ducking some rotten fruit already.

Track 7: "Kept". Well, as far as "sorry I cheated on you honey, please take me back, I'm admitting I screwed up here!" songs go, this isn't half bad. Although those kind of songs are best met with a strong "sorry, go f*ck yourself!" response that isn't present here. (Think either of the two Fleetwood Mac classics, "Go Your Own Way" or "Silver Springs", neither of which ever get old to listen to. Especially when Stevie grabs the mic in "Silver Springs", turns to face Lindsey, and is so enraged come 90 seconds later that it takes her an entire freaking chorus to calm down enough to end the song. Sweet stuff.)

I kinda liked the slower tempo on this track. Also like how it picks up steam and pace and sound as you build to the ending. Overall, it's a keeper. It'll never get released as a single, but that's ok. A few of my favorite songs never got airplay. Those are the ones really worth remembering, because not every person and his brother's neighbor's housekeeper's child's best friend's dad knows it.

Best line(s): the chorus:

"and i should have kept my head,
and i should have kept my arms inside,
i believe it now."

Grade: A-. Solid effort that will really be neat to listen to live if he goes acoustic with it, which I am willing to wager my entire life's savings of $.36 that he will on tour.

Track 8: "Run". His collaboration with Sugarland ... and it not only does not disappoint, if I didn't love the title track to this "cd" so much, this would be my favorite song on the "cd". This is absolutely fantastic. The first verse (Nathanson singing) sounds exactly like an OAR song. You can actually kind of hear "Shattered" in the sound. The second verse (Jennifer Nettles singing), boy I'm probably gonna really be ducking rotten tomatoes for saying this from rabid fans of who I'm going to compare her to ... but god damn if she doesn't sound like Reba McIntyre on her vocals. This song is fantastic. It is absolutely fantastic, and they're gonna have a smash country hit with this. As well they should.

Best line(s): the whole damned song? OK, ok, I'll narrow it down to the first verse, keeping in mind this is Nathanson singing it to Nettles ...

"i wanna watch you undress.
i wanna watch you glow.
let your hair down all around,
cover us both.

you come in a wave,
we crash and we roll,
you surround me, pull me,
drown me, swallow me whole."

And the second verse, Jennifer's rebuttal to Matt's advances:

"you pull me in close.
you buckle my knees.
i shake and i shiver
just to hear you breathe.

you trace my lines
stirring my soul
shoot sparks at the heart of the world
and i watch it explode."

Grade: B+. Here's my complaint about this song, and yeah, it's a really small one ... but the song should have ended after the second chorus. I think it would have been better that way. And since it's my review, that docks this track nearly a full letter grade. It definitely would have been an A had it ended where I wanted it to, and possibly an A+. Still, it's phenomenally good.

Track 9: "Queen of (K)nots". Just from the title alone, this has potential. And I like the sound, it kinda sounds like Fall Out Boy's "I Don't Care" to begin with (which is my favorite song by them, it's that or "Sugar We're Going Down").

This song grows on you, both as it goes along, and as you listen to it more than once. Which is good. This song isn't half bad. He might have a minor hit with this if he releases it.

Best line(s): the chorus:

"you send me sailing into the rocks,
my queen of (k)nots.
your heart's a jungle of bar fights,
lonely little queen of (k)nots,
you must be lost."

Grade: A. Solid effort.

Track 10: "Drop to Hold You". I love the intro to this song. The sound and vibe is really sweet. The background sound honestly sounds like something you'd heard during a key scene on "One Tree Hill". And yes, I realize that in the minds of most readers, that is not a good thing, but in this case, it is.

Lyrics are ok. He's done better though.

Best line(s): "i had a thief, he stole my money.
took my heart, took it so quick,
he left a hole as big as texas, oh oh oh oh oh."

Grade: B-. It's a decent effort, but I'd have put this closer to the front of the "cd". Especially given how it was building momentum with "Run" and "Queen of (K)nots" before this.

Track 11: "Bottom of the Sea". Has kind of a John Mayer vibe to it, and I like it. This is where he's at his best, just a stripped down love ballad that's both revealing and funny all at once. This song perfectly captures that feel.

Best line(s): "if the morning light ever calls you backwards,
if the surface ever begs you home,
don't be gone too long,
please don't leave me here alone."

Grade: A-. A rock solid finish to a rock solid "cd".

Overall: I gave 6 of the 11 tracks an "A", and it should have been seven -- I was probably too harsh on "Run". Overall, it's a better "cd" than "This Mad Hope" and "Still Waiting for Spring", but none of these songs are as great as "Answering Machine" or "More Than This" (off "Spring") or "Come On Get Higher" and "Heartbreak World" (off "Hope"). Still, it's well worth the $7.99 to download the mp3 album at iTunes or amazon.com. Do it -- you won't regret it.

Verdict: buy as soon as f*cking possible, the highest designation I can give something.

One last musical note ...

Last Friday night, I went to KC Live down at the Power and Light District to see Gavin DeGraw in concert. He does three songs I absolutely love: "Follow Through", "In Love With a Girl", and "the song" to me, "I Don't Wanna Be".

This was the most geeked I'd been for a concert since Korn, Snoop Dogg, and Linkin Park rolled into town for Projekt Revolution seven years ago this August. (Has it really been that long? Really? It seems like yesterday that concert went down, given that I can remember every damned thing about that day, despite heavy drinking and inhaling. Probably because (a) of the extremely obese chick in front of me in a sports bra and not much else, an image that would jolt anyone into sobriety, and (b) the dude behind me who tripped on 'shrooms and puked. Stay classy champ, stay classy.)

Anyways, I was highly anticipating this concert, specifically the moment that I knew would be the final performance of the night. For nearly three freaking hours, he rocked KC Live. He started about 9:30, and it was 12:20ish when he came out for the encore ... which just might be the best ten minutes of the last year of my life.

To begin with, he opened his set with "In Love With a Girl", which is probably his biggest hit to date. (Even if you think you haven't heard it, trust me -- you have. Two people there with us had no clue what this guy sang, and they'd both heard this song.) About midway through, he nailed "Chariot", then followed that up with, uuh, "Follow Through", which is an awesome song in and of itself. (And is on the playlist for Floatapalooza Uno of 2011 this weekend.)

After nearly three hours of rocking the house (there was not an empty spot anywhere in the KC Live complex. You could barely move on the upper concourse where we were. Even cooler? At least 10-15 people were arriving during every song ... and nobody left early. This kid is epically good.)

Anyways, after about three straight hours of performing, comes the encore. He opened it by covering "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye. It was incredible. He then spent a couple minutes stalling as the stage was reset for the final performance, the moment I was drooling with anticipation over.

And let me say this. There are moments in life that you hype so much, moments you anticipate with such excitement and happiness, that it is impossible to live up to the hype and the hope. Like going on a first date with me, for instance. (rimshot!)

Then there are moments, that not only meet the hype and the hope, they knock it to second f*cking base. From the second he sat down at the piano to start the haunting intro to "I Don't Wanna Be", to the closing moment of him doing a backflip off said piano five minutes later, it was beyond sweet. It was second f*cking base. It's the single greatest concert moment of my life, somehow passing Linkin Park closing the night down seven years ago with "One Step Closer", and I never thought anything would top that on the "Get Lost In the Moment-o-Meter". Let's just say, it got a little dusty when he started playing.

Damn that was fun! Matt Nathanson and Eric Church, you guys got a very high bar to clear in the quest to win the coveted "Best Performance Stevo Sees This Summer" designation. And I'm really looking forward to watching you two try to top Gavin triumphantly channeling his inner Carl Edwards and flipping off a grand piano after three of the greatest hours of live music imaginable ...