#24: Mat Kearney - Young Love (2011)

It's a very percussion heavy album (especially considering his earlier works) and it really works in his favor. He's got a very mellow approach, but if you add some really awesome, simple drum tracks into his music, then all of a sudden it has a total different feel to it, without losing his signature sound. This is definitely an album that has not gotten nearly enough attention. Then again, he pulls from lots of different genres to make this record possible.

Hey Mama
This is what pop music should sound like, maybe then I'd be more inclined to listen to the radio more. Mat Kearney (for whatever reason) isn't nearly as popular as he should be. This song mixes gospel clapping, some electronic music, a catchy hook, with some throw away back up vocals. It's nothing amazing, but it's fun.

Ships in the Night
Hands down the best song on the record. Big percussive drums keep the song moving throughout the verse while an acoustic guitar lays down a simple chord progression to allow Mat to sing over. The real bread and butter of the song is, of course, the chorus. It's such a simple thought, why didn't I ever think of it? "You keep passing me by, like ships in the night." The bridge ditches all lower frequencies which allows the chorus to come back in with a bang. If you're only going to listen to one song off this album, this is the one.

Learning to Love Again
This probably my favorite track on the record. I'm a sucker for simple love songs, especially ones with succulent guitar parts, silky vocals, and meaningful lyrics. I sounds lame on paper but amazing in your ears. Again, the big percussion makes it into the song, but really just stays in the background doing a lovely job of keeping the song moving without interfering. This review also sounds lame on paper.

All in all, it's a great album that I listen to at least once a week. It's been in my rotation now for about 4 months. Nothing's too out there that it can't be background music, and yet you can listen to it as a focal point. I've only heard one of his other albums, but every time I hear this one, I'm eager to start listening to more.

Tomorrow's album: Machito's Kenya.