Didn't see a thread for Matt- so wrong! Also if there is one, please delete this one. I'm terrible at creating new ones. Anyway- Matt released a new song today. It's pretty good.
New album, Sings His Sad Heart, out October 5. Tracklist: 1. Mine 2. Way Way Back 3. Different Beds 4. Best Drugs 5. Used To Be 6. Back Together 7. Long Distance Runner 8. Gimme Your Love 9. Let You Go 10. Sadness New songs:
This record is sick. I interviewed him about it: Matt Nathanson Is the Most Nostalgic Guy in the Room • chorus.fm
Listened to the new record a couple times and I like it. I need to get into it more, expecially the new songs, but Used To Be and Sadness are early favourites. Also, glad there's a thread for Matt on here. One of my all-time favourite artists.
Only listened once, but didn't hit me as hard as SMYF. Mine, Sadness, and Back Together are early favorites. Dude knows how to write a simple lyric that hits me like a ton of bricks.
SMYF has some GREAT individual songs (Giants, Bill Murray, Headphones) but it's kind of a mixed bag. It hasn't that lasting power like Some Mad Hope or Beneath These Fireworks. This feels more like an album to me. Something meant to be listened from start to finish.
Don't get me wrong. I think it's better than Last of the Great Pretenders (which unfortunately I didn't care much about) and Modern Love. I don't know if this new one will surpass it but time will tell. Right now my MN albums rank is: 1. Some Mad Hope 2. Beneath These Fireworks 3. Show Me Your Fangs. If we could allow live albums, At The Point would jump right at #2.
Some Mad Hope is his pinnacle by a pretty wide margin for me. I really like everything he’s done since, plus Fireworks, but that album is very close to perfect for me. Fangs is a surprisingly cohesive listen. I’m always kind of blown away by how well it holds together. This album and that one are probably on pretty even footing for me.
My biggest issue with Fangs is still shoehorning “Headphones” in as the closer. That song doesn’t belong anywhere near that album.
Yeah, SMYF is surprising cohesive despite the wide range of musical styles. Maybe that's why it feels sonically natural to follow Playlist and Apologies with Headphones, and it follows Matt's tradition of closing albums on an uptlifting note. Also, Headphones is in the same key of Giants so I have an excuse to listen to it again right after.
"Headphones" also had the disadvantage of coming out like 14 or 15 months before the album, which I think is part of the reason I think it's so jarring at the end.
I love this record. It actually has some great lyrics, which is not normally something I expect from him.
I think Some Mad Hope is a fantastic album from a lyrical perspective, but this is definitely the most impressed I've been by that side of his writing since then.
I legit yelled "YES!" out loud in the car the first time I heard "I'm sure he's easier than I was If you like that sort of thing He looks better with his shirt off, yeah, but can he sing?"
Bumping this thread because Sings His Sad Heart really clicked with me recently. Back Together is an unsung hero of the album. Sadness also wrecks me in the best way. Hoping to snag a ticket to one of his Boston shows- money is scary tight these days. Ugh
This is unexpected chicago has always been a magical place for me & my music. last summer, we had a few days off from tour in the midwest and an “in” at wilco’s legendary, bucket-list (!!!) LOFT recording studio in chicago... so i hatched a plan: i would record a love letter to the windy city. an EP of my favorite songs by artists associated with the rich musical history of chicago. my friends, i present: Postcards (from Chicago), out 7/26: http://mattnathanson.lnk.to/postcards... tracklist same drugs (feat. patrick stump) - original by chance the rapper hum hallelujah - original by fall out boy perfect world - original by liz phair surrender (feat. richard marx) - original by cheap trick hold on to the nights - originally by richard marx whiskey bottle - originally by uncle tupelo check out the first song - a cover of chance the rapper's BRILLIANT “same drugs”- featuring guest vocals by patrick stump of fall out boy: mattnathanson.lnk.to/samedrugs the ep is available for a limited time on 10”, orange (sexy!!) vinyl. you can order just the album or the super fun “chicago rules” bundle: https://store.mattnathanson.com (orders will be taken until midnight on 7/31, then the vinyl will be GONE. limited edition stuff. so don’t wait!)