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| Artist: Matt Nathanson |
| Format: | CD |
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Product Summary
Song Listing
| Matt Nathanson doesn't waste any time setting the tone for his transfixing new album, Some Mad Hope. Diving headlong into a sea of chiming guitars, the San Francisco-based singer-songwriter breathlessly declares "I'm wide awake and so alive" -- the opening lines of "Car Crash" serving as a statement of emotional clarity that permeates the disc's every groove. Some Mad Hope, Nathanson's sixth studio album (and first for Vanguard), is in many ways his most fully realized work to date. Recorded over the past two and a half years, the 12-song set displays a sonic depth that dovetails perfectly with what he admits is a newfound songwriting confidence. "Every time I make a record, I think 'this is it!'" Nathanson says with a laugh. "But I don't think I really understood how to make a record until this one. The process and the result had much more of a dynamic to it -- we weren't just presenting songs -- it felt like the longest childbirth in the history of childbirths, but by the end, we really got it." |
Album Notes and Credits
Notes & Personnel Info |
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Personnel: Matt Nathanson (acoustic guitar); Michael Chavez (guitar); Mark Weinberg, Aaron Tap (electric guitar); Ben West (keyboards); John Thomasson (electric bass); Jason McGerr, Jason McKenzie (drums); Jim McGroman, Marshall Altman, Suzie McNeil (background vocals). |
Producer: Mark Weinberg; Marshall Altman |
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Engineer: Doug Tyo; Mike Laza; Brian Scheubele; Karl Egsieker; Marcus Samperio; Ryan Williams; Eric Robinson |
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Artist Overview
Aimee Mann | Ben Harper | Bob Dylan | Bon Jovi | Counting Crows | Dave Matthews Band | Duncan Sheik | Five for Fighting | Harry Chapin | James Taylor (Soft Rock) | Michael Penn | The Goo Goo Dolls | The Verve | Third Eye Blind | Toad the Wet Sprocket (Modern Rock) | Tracy Chapman
Anna Nalick | Ari Hest | Ben Folds | Butch Walker | Citizen Cope | Crosby Loggins | David Gray | Ernie Halter | Foy Vance | Freedy Johnston | Guillemots | Howie Day | James Morrison (Rock) | Jason Mraz | Joe Henry | John Mayer (Adult Alternative) | Joseph Arthur | Josh Hoge | Josh Kelley | Josh Ritter | Kathleen Edwards | Mat Kearney | Matt Hires | O.A.R. | Ray LaMontagne | Ron Sexsmith (Singer/Songwriter) | The Fray | Will Hoge
Compilation Appearances
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Muppets: The Green Album |
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For The Kids Too |
Technical Info
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Release Date : 08/21/2007 |
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Original Release Date : 2007 |
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Catalog ID : 798272 |
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Label : Vanguard |
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Number of Discs : 1 |
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Studio/Live : Studio |
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Mono/Stereo : Stereo |
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SPAR Code : n/a |
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UPC : 00015707982726 |
Professional Reviews
- "Nathanson is a skillful lyricist with a keen ear for melody, which saves even the most heartbreaking tunes from disappearing under their own weight."
Bio
Matt NathansonAt the core of Nathanson's music are his lyrics -- deft turns of phrase that can alternately cut deep into the heart or heal it. That's evident throughout Some Mad Hope, a song cycle of sorts that chronicles the search for a genuine connection, touching on the sensually electric moments as well as the darker frustrations of sifting through the wreckage -- in hopes of finding redemption at the end of the day.
"I definitely think of the album as capturing the arc of a relationship," says the Boston native. "It starts out on a positive note and it goes to some really dark places. But after touching bottom, there's a sense of optimism in the end. Maybe coming from a realization that two people can be a team, not just two individuals who happen to be together."
From the gentle string washes that lap the edges of "Heartbreak World" (a song that balances wistful backward glances with gingerly-held hope of better things to come) to the insistent rhythmic pulse that drives the wind-at-the-back anthem "Detroit Waves," Nathanson demonstrates a mesmerizing attention to detail. Each of Some Mad Hope's dozen songs exudes a distinct personality -- a dynamic that can't help but draw the listener in.
"In a lot of ways, the album is about learning what a relationship really can be," he says. "Some people deal with that when they're 20, some people deal with it in their thirties and some people never do -- writing and recording these songs genuinely left me with the feeling that, 'wow, this is a real step forward for me, both as an artist and as a person.'"
