Some Mad Hope

I've been listening to Matt Nathanson's new album, "Some Mad Hope" in my car since I bought it. It's musically more mature and polished than his previous release, "Beneath These Fireworks," revealing an even more real and contemplative side to the San Francisco-based artist. A review on Amazon pegged Nathanson as somewhere between Bono and John Mayer, but anyone who has even listened to this album all the way through would know that this statement couldn't be further from the truth. Arguably, one would be flattered to be compared to such successful, award-winning artists who have undoubtedly left their marks in pop culture. But, unlike either Bono or Mayer, Matt Nathanson's music is not commercial propoganda, and is not filled with any political agenda. Instead, Nathanson is passionate and raw. My favorite tracks are "Car Crash," "Gone," "Still," and "Falling Apart"; they just ooze with the emotion that can only come from personal experience. "Wedding Dress" is probably the most hard-hitting, as Nathanson describes so blatantly the extreme feelings no one else can fathom putting into words.