As Kearney prepares for the April 18th release of new CD “Nothing to Lose,” check out my review of freshman project “Bullet.” I thought it was one of the year’s best.
Nothing short of brilliant, this Inpop label debut. Mat Kearney's journey took him from the Northwest to what sounds like some serious college partying to finally a season of introspection and consideration of spiritual truths. "Bullet" is very much a result of that process, containing wisdom and guidance that crosses generational lines as well as some slamming poetry, fresh instrumentation, perceptive social commentary, pleasing vocals and overall, a worshipful spirit. Here is my absolute certainty: Mat Kearney will speak to the generations and be heard. Check it out:
"Tuck my shoulder like a soldier/to knock down the door/thirty something here I'm coming/with kisses for one girl/these scars upon my sleeve/casting out my pearls/throw each stone microphone/like its my last turn/with a kiss to the abyss/and watch the ripples return/through it all."
His songs do not shrink back from challenging topics, covering the loss of the unborn, to the tragedy of America's lost youth, to personal tales of harrowing circumstances. He slits open a vein for our edification in a spirit of sacrifice that honors the God he so obviously knows and loves. I can't rave enough about this great project, to my mind one of that year's best, and since we're now past 2005, let me add that year too; this album is the one to get.
