I thought Mat Kearney’s “Bullet” was one of 2004’s best, so I was more than ready to enjoy this year’s “Nothing Left To Lose.” The guy’s got mad poet skills, alright?
"Nothing Left To Lose" contains a half dozen of the best of "Bullet," plus seven new songs that follow in the same poetic, hooky vein. The six tracks from "Bullet" are virtually unchanged, beat for beat, so you'll fall in love all over again with the smoky vocals of the beat-laden "Undeniable," the robust street chops underscored by the gentle cello of "In the Middle," and "Girl America" still holds up as one of the decade's most potent songs in my book. (See Suite "Bullet" review here). I can't get enough of Kearney's hypnotic rhythms and lightning quick truths. The images of "Girl America" still break my heart two years later: "Boys with hungry eyes have been beating her door/ Telling her that's what she's for, trying to rob at her core." And he brings the solution in terms equally strong: "A King born under that morning star/ as a crown of thorns was placed to erase/ Each tear that's touched your face/ And his palms and sides were pierced with spears/ He hung in love just to draw you near."
The new material continues Kearney's stark poetic imagery encased in driving rhythms and melodic hooks. The title track's soaring vocals relate his spiritual journey from Oregon to Nashville. "Can't Break Her Fall" paints achingly accurate portraits of both loneliness and addiction, a great strength of Kearney's. He is able with the twist of a lyric to create a chilling portrait or moment's mood, often of the feelings we'd most like to forget. I admire his bravery, and he's got the musical chops to back it up. "What's a Boy To Do" is just such a song; steeped in intimacy, his acoustic portrait of a father's absence is both personal and potent.
Aware Records thought well enough of Kearney's fresh style to sign a Christian artist to their mainstream label, and they picked the right man for the job. Kearney has the poet's touch of a Springsteen, with the same raw street perspective, and his music expresses the message of faith artistically enough to effectively attract. The wake-up call of the melodic "Renaissance" presents truth with a vitality and a sensitivity that makes you glad he's with Aware Records. The cello of closer "Won't Back Down" tenderly supports Mat Kearney's plaintive lyrics of commitment and surrender, leaving you to hope that he will find the audience he so richly deserves. "Nothing Left To Lose," like its predecessor, is one of the year's best.
