Sad Can't Catch Me Now (An attempt at review of musical album 'Modern Love')

This is my first attempt at writing a review for a musical album. The album is 'Modern Love' by Matt Nathanson released on June 21, 2011. So here I go!

When The Beatles gave world a message in 'All you need is love' they were asked for simple words that can catch the imagination of the world. As some say the beauty is in the simplicity, a sentiment that echoes within the songs of the new album 'Modern Love' from Matt Nathanson. It's an album entirely about love and all the things that go around it.

Most of you remember the song 'Come on get higher' and all of you remember the rendition of 'Laid' in the movie American Wedding. I won't be exaggerating if I say 'Come on get higher' was a radio hit that brought Matt Nathanson to the world and me. Scrubs introduced me to couple of other songs that immediately made me Google his name and listen to his other songs.

I've earnestly followed Matt Nathanson over the past eight years. I was introduced to his music through the unlikely source of American Wedding (released in 2003). The guitar in the opening sequence is catchy at the least. But the best part of the song is the voice. The singer seems to be wrenching out his heart to bring the emotion hidden beneath the lyrics.

If you're a Matt Nathanson fan you'll immediately see the difference in the songs of 'Modern Love'. "We started with the idea of keeping a groove steady the whole way through a song," Nathanson stated in a press release about the album. "I wanted things to breathe and hang off these songs in a way that defied the fact that they were written on an acoustic guitar.” (Read more:http://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-matt-nathanson-modern-love/#ixzz1YyQu88Gj)

Each of the song is a departure from his usual style, the lead single 'Faster' does make my heart beat faster. It is so easy to go with the flow of the beats and soon your fingers would tap to the rhythm. You're next drawn into the ways of the 'Modern Love'. The lyrics seem so disconnected to love per se; yet each line manages to mock at the modern love.

Just when you manage to lose the faith in love, hope will put the colors in the sky ('Love Comes Tumbling Down'). The songs ask simple question 'when did we get so careful?’ The answer is yours to find out. So where do you go with all this hope and love, of course get a room at the end of the world! A song so free in its message 'sad can't catch me now'. Amen!

Well, if you find the lyrics a bit provocative, Matt hasn't started yet! That's his style of writing; lyrics so attached to the ground & raw yet have a feeling of relief within. The first fifteen seconds of the next song 'Kiss Quick' puts you there in a place of vulnerability and hopelessness. The rest of the song just puts words to those emotions.

'Mercy' and 'Kept' are two songs at the extreme ends although bringing out a similar emotion. Kudos! The next song 'Run' brings you back into the outskirts of the hope-land. A duet with Sugarland the song is a love song at its best. A song that would go down in the history as a 'slow fire burning' for eternity. The harmony of soft emotions of Mr. Nathanson and strong voice of Ms. Bush is amazing.

'The Queen of (K)nots' brings back to the land of lost while 'Drop to Hold You' raises you back 'and you came around - to save me.' The song does manage to make you 'hear the swell of the music.' The last song 'Bottom of the Sea' has a soft intro that puts you in that jolly mood, and lyrics you can easily hum around with a bit of questions to wonder. 'Tried my best to be someone else, someone else’s. Now there’s nothing left... of me'.

My favourites are 'Kiss Quick' and 'Run'. A great album, Mr. Nathanson! You've managed to create a love 'album' while others just stop at a love song. Modern Love would be album that I would return often; for some profoundly thoughtful R&R of my modern mind.