Matt Nathanson, "Car Crash"
Part of singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson's considerable charm has always been rooted in his unpredictability and his vulnerability, those extraordinary moments when he reveals a stunning bit of emotion in an unexpected twist of phrase or a poignant catch in his voice. He does that quite often on "Some Mad Hope" (Vanguard), with the best surprise coming in the gorgeous ballad "Bulletproof Weeks," in which he laments the loss of unshakable confidence in a relationship's future in hushed tones and wounded worry.
Part of singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson's considerable charm has always been rooted in his unpredictability and his vulnerability, those extraordinary moments when he reveals a stunning bit of emotion in an unexpected twist of phrase or a poignant catch in his voice. He does that quite often on "Some Mad Hope" (Vanguard), with the best surprise coming in the gorgeous ballad "Bulletproof Weeks," in which he laments the loss of unshakable confidence in a relationship's future in hushed tones and wounded worry.
In the more conventional pop ballad "Still" or the rock-leaning single "Car Crash," Nathanson still manages to toss enough surprises in to keep things interesting and memorable. The problem with "Some Mad Hope" comes in the average songs - especially the goofy, spastic "To the Beat of Our Noisy Hearts" and the disposable guitar lines of "Detroit Waves" - where things get so close to formulaic that it calls into question the grandeur of the rest of the album. Nathanson has shown himself to have plenty of great songs in him. He hasn't put them all together to build that one great album yet. ("Some Mad Hope," in stores Tuesday; Grade: B-)