Mat Kearney - Nothing Left to Lose - Music & Performance - CD

The title track of Mat (one "t") Kearney's first mainstream release, Nothing Left To Lose is relentlessly poppy and radio friendly. Essentially the record is one half a culling of the best from his 2004 release, Bullet and one half new stuff. This would be pretty silly except this represents a transition and crossover for Kearney. His reputation, and career is in Christian music. Considering this history, a record reminiscent of Beck in the beginning isn't half bad. In fact, Nothing Left To Lose is pretty good. The title cut, and others that follow Kearney's history, are vaguely Brit-pop with hints of blue-eyed soul in the James Taylor vein. He's got an eerie resemblance to Chris Martin of Coldplay.

"Girl America" exemplifies a different groove entirely. Kearney is a respectable folk-rapper. He sets up a mellow hip-hop groove, and showcases his rhyming in grand style. This is the Beck stuff. Like Everlast, Kearney knows how to roll out a lyric without sounding like a poser. He wears it well. The third deal is probably Kearney's best bag. He has the charm of John Sebastion with his own folkie, acoustic songs. "Can't Break Her Fall" shows what a clever songwriter he is. The whole set is mixed for a pop audience. Tunes like "Bullet" and "Undeniable" have overt Christian messages, other cuts are more subtle. If this drags you, you won't dig this record, but every band can't be singing about sex, drugs and the eve of destruction. A little optimism might be seen as a whole new thing.

Piano ballads, "All I Need" and "Won't Back Down" are the most stylistically romantic of cuts. They borrow from Elton John (as do all post '80s piano ballads) but have nice builds and good intensity. The latter cut closes the collection of thirteen tunes. The overall vibe is halfway between alt pop that brought John Mayer such fame, and the campus style jams of early U2 and Phish. Kearney never really stretches it out, but the loosey-goosey feel works for him. He's an Oregon boy, who came down to Nashville to get the music city feel. He's got a nice left coast lay back, meeting up with a taste of country slick.

If you didn't know that Mat Kearney was a Christian artist, you wouldn't know he was a Christian artist. He's painfully sincere, and this would be cloying in another singer/songwriter. With Kearney, you'll believe he's really that humble and lovable. The collection is vaguely uneven, in that so much is crammed into so little space. He's got potential, and he's breaking out of his box. Nothing Left To Lose is a nice, easy going, laid back, naive and sentimental record by a nice, easy going, laid back, naive and sentimental, guy.

By Dave Morgan