Matt Nathanson Album: “Beneath These Fireworks”

I stumbled upon a live show of his a little over a year ago and was completely captivated by his performance. He was one of the funniest people I've ever seen and you just instantly wanted to be friends with this guy. When I listened to the CD's I bought at the show, I really liked them but they didn't quite capture the power that he brings to the stage. You have to see him live to truly appreciate him, but once you do you'll quickly fall in love with the CD's. Each time I see him I come away with a new favorite song. With this new CD he re-records a lot of great old songs and adds some real gems to the pack. His new producer and great cast of guests (Emm Gryner and Glen Phillips) really add a great touch and I think he shines through better than he has before. It's still not as great as his live shows which will leave you laughing hysterically (watch for Prince cover of Starfish and Coffee!), but I really enjoy this new disc. I highly recommend anything by Matt, but this is a great one for those just learning who this incredible guy is.

I don't really think the sound clips do justice to this album, nor the album to the artist -- which is not to say the album's a dud by any means. On the contrary, it contains some of Matt's finest work, albeit with a heavy layer of studio production that sometimes detracts from the songs, especially if you've never heard the stripped-down acoustic versions before (particularly the case for I Saw and Lucky Boy).

Give a listen to Suspended, Sad Songs, and Little Victories, then dig up some of his live stuff, which is not hard to find (legally) on the internet. Matt's at his best when he's on stage.

About the inevitable John Mayer comparisons: yes, they're both Guys With Guitars. John Mayer does the smooth bluesy jazzy thing, Matt's more of an average-Joe type, sings what he feels, mostly good-natured with a healthy cynical streak. The fact that Matt was finally signed by a major label in the wake of John Mayer's success was probably no coincidence, but that doesn't mean that either of them aren't talented artists in their own right.

pros: awesome music and vocals, plain and simple. there is a soft harmony to this album. the cd ranges between tracks that are soft acoustic music with strong vocals and strong music with even stronger vocals. in each song, the strength and style of the music matches the voice of matt nathanson, which is clear, strong, and well-spoken. wonderful lyrics.

cons: the cd length is 40 minutes and 14 seconds, which is a bit short for the price and THE ONLY reason this cd loses a star.

if you've got the money for the cd and don't mind that it is a little short, i would strongly recommend it. i purchased this album on my friend's recommendation, and i definitely am happy i listened to her.

For anyone comparing Matt to John Mayer, they obviously have a limited ear for music. The two styles are VERY different. I challenge anyone who rated this CD with one star to see Matt in concert and NOT be amazed by his talent. Few artists can play a 12 string like Matt, few can put the amount of soul into their music, few can write lyrics like him, and few can mock themselves and "rock" in general while doing it. Matt is a true performer - he is NOT a studio wannabe and as one reviewer pointed out - he's been making music for years. This just happens to be his first studio release, but those of us with taste for the underground and non-streamlined studio music have been enjoying his last four CDs for years. Any reference to Britney-esque turnouts is ignorant and inept. Is Matt cutting edge and shocking? Maybe not. But true talent doesn't have to be.

Great album! Matt has a great voice and i would recommend this album to others that like artist's such as howie day, gavin degraw and josh kelley. Really worth the money! Favourites include 'sad song', 'Bent' and 'Pretty the world" however they are all great songs and i never find myself skipping to the next song like you do with other cds! His music doesn't get radio play in New Zealand but it totally should! Go Matt!