REVIEW: Mat Kearney – Young Love

Artist: Mat Kearney
Album: Young Love
Genre: Singer/Songwriter
Label: Aware Records/Inpop Records

Generally speaking, singer/songwriters are the cockroaches of the music scene; they always will, and always have existed, despite any trends in the music industry, or inherent instability, there will always be a person with an acoustic guitar, writing up-beat pop songs. They’re impossible to get rid of, one goes away or moves on, and a dozen more take their place. And as a result of this, it’s sort of hard to get excited about a new album from one of the singer/songwriter types, it’s usually a fairly cookie cutter example of what these types of musicians always come up with, after all, there is really only so much you can do with an acoustic guitar, and one voice. Of course, every once in awhile one of these musicians manages to break through by some odd chance, and will forever be the staples of the genre, musicians like the painfully generic Jack Johnson, or the genuinely impressive ones like Rocky Votolato. But for the most part, they’re all too similar, that no one really has any distinct chance of breaking through, simply because they don’t bring anything new or original to the table. Of course, due to the extraordinary population of such musicians, those mentioned aren’t the only ones that were able to make a name for themselves in the long run. Mat Kearney is another one of the rare breed of successful singer/songwriters, a man that through hard work and a recognizable amount of talent, has managed to make a solid career for himself with several successful album releases, countless large scale tours, and high profile television licensing. And that is a huge accomplishment for any type of musician. But of course, this begs the question, is Mat Kearney any different than someone like Jack Johnson, or the unknown guy whose CD is sold at the check out counter at Starbucks?

Quite simply put; not really. There are minute differences, but not enough to really justify the necessity for such a high number of artists like this. I suppose it helps fill out the genre in a mainstream sense, perhaps it gives other singer/songwriters other musicians to tour with, or perhaps it gives fans something to keep themselves occupied in between releases of their other favorite artists, but I don’t get a sense that there is much diversity among this genre. On his own though, Kearney isn’t quite bad, I feel like he could perhaps be one of the only mainstream singer/songwriters, and no one would complain. But unfortunately, he isn’t. His new album Young Love really does justify why he has managed to make his way to the top over his long and impressive career. Songs like “Ships In The Night” and “Chasing The Light” are proof that Kearney is more than your average dude with an acoustic guitar, adding elements of dynamic lyrics and tones, along with some interesting production technique, showing that he is indeed a bit different than the rest. Of course, my personal favorite on the album is the rather unconventional “Rochester” which the nearly a capella song, with very light guitar-work focusing on Kearney’s powerful lyrics and voice.

All in all, there really isn’t too much to be said about Mat Kearney’s new album that hasn’t been said of his contemporaries, or about his other albums. Perhaps it’s just a personal illusion, but I feel like there is only so much potential for progression in the realm of singer/songwriter albums. Young Love isn’t a bad album, it’s just not a revolutionary album. Not that every album can be, of course, that doesn’t automatically make it a bad album, it just doesn’t make it a different album; an album that I would choose over say, a Rocky Votolato or City and Colour album. Everyone has their favorites, and while Kearney isn’t my least favorite, he just falls into that middle ground that lacks any real lasting value, personally speaking. Of course, Kearney himself isn’t going anywhere, he can manage to stay around for a good long while with his touring, future albums, and continued hard work and dedication towards his music. Young Love is another stepping stone in Kearney’s career; not a defining moment.

7/10
Reviewed by: Mike Hogan

James Shotwell
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