Mat Kearney

The evolution of Mat Kearney’s career has been a nice one. He hasn’t had to reinvent himself with each new album to stay relevant, but he has made sure not to do the exact same thing over and over again. While his debut album, Bullet, infused his pop-tronica with bits of hip-hop and spoken word affectations, his breakthrough follow-up, Nothing Left to Lose, took a decidedly more pop route as evidenced by hit singles like the title track and “Undeniable.” Catchy and heartfelt, the second album retained some of the sensibilities that attracted fans to his music in the first place, but replaced a few old colors on the palette with a few fresh ones.

And such is the case with his newest effort, City of Black & White. While Nothing had a few moments of dream pop and echoing etheralism, City latches onto that element and showcases it to the listener on most of the 12 songs on this record. Generally-speaking this album also has a more consistently emotional tone to it than the previous records. It doesn’t have the upbeat or signature quirky beats and rhythms, but stays more in the semi-acoustic/atmospheric pop realm, with flourishes of Americana popping up as in the title track.

This is an album of contrasts. The obvious dichotomy in the album’s title aside, tracks like “Fire and Rain” and “New York to California” use their titles and content to display the tension that exists between opposing forces in various aspects of life. Sometimes we want to be on the other side of a situation, or we feel people pulling us in opposing directions, and sometimes we’re struggling to make others see our point of view while they try to do the same thing. The pulsing synths and propulsive drums in “Fire and Rain” serve as an example of the emphasis that the music in these songs gives to each of these struggles, reminding us of the internal conflicts many of us face or have faced.

With this latest effort, Kearney continues to explore his vocal range. First single “Closer to Love” catches Kearney hitting softer, higher notes during the chorus, creating a pleasant backdrop to a song that shimmers. On the other hand, there are songs like “Here We Go” which contain by-the-numbers lifting and dropping of octaves during the chorus, producing a result that sounds uncomfortable and unnatural. But when he sticks to that lower register where his mumbling croon is at its richest, that’s when he tends to hit the mark most.

A number of the songs reflect familiar attitudes about relationships in their various stages. “New York to California” is the almost obligatory, piano-driven, I’d-do-anything-to-get-back-to-you-if-we-were-separated song you need for an album like this, and “Lifeline” includes familiar sentiments like realizing that having everything in the world means nothing if you don’t have that certain someone by your side. Kudos go to Kearney though for the haunting refrain of “won’t you just stay” in the waning moments of the airy title track—very affecting.

“Never Be Ready” and “On and On” contain some gems, lyrically. The first reminds us that “we’ll never be ready if we keep waiting for the perfect time to come,” and despite the fact this is not earth-shattering news to most people, it is something that is well worth remembering. Much in the same way, the second song reminds us that “nothing worth anything ever goes down easy,” a testament to both the enduring quality of genuine love, and the fact that sometimes the most memorable experiences are the toughest ones.

City of Black & White is different, but it’s kind of the same. Variations of a theme, if you will. Mat Kearney shoots for the skies with earnest intentions, but it all sounds a little too much like other artists we’ve heard before.

Tagged as: City of Black and White, Mat Kearney

Does it Resonate with you?

Name (required)

Email (will not be published) (required)

URL