the 31 best of 2007 – 31: Matt Nathanson – Some Mad Hope

So, now you must know that my threat was real! Here I am, bringing you the very first of my 31 top CDs of 2007. While there were many, many great CDs that came out this year, these 31 are the ones that I enjoyed most. While this really isn’t intended to be a “countdown”, per-se, rank isn’t necessarily assumed among star-rating classes, so I will be giving a rating to each disc (the top 31 are all either 4 or 5 star-rated). I don’t rank against different types of artists; my ranks indicate how much I liked the disc and how good I feel that it is. So, that means, these CDs are all good; placement on the list will only really affect those at the very top.

So, now that I have muddied this up as much as possible, let’s get to the first CD to make my “top 31” list this year: Matt Nathanson – Some Mad Hope.

Note: Since there were clearly more than 31 CDs that I really liked this year, I recommend checking out my favorite CDs of 2007 list for other great CDs from 2007.

The first CD on the year end list, is Some Mad Hope by rocker Matt Nathanson. A sound that reminds me of many single male rock singers, like Ryan Adams or Damien Rice (but not so depressing), I have to admit that I wasn’t initially interested in this record. I downloaded it before a trip, and was determined to give it a go while I was traveling. Unfortunate choice or not, the first song on the record is Car Crash, which isn’t really something one wants to hear while flying (the imagery was just too uncomfortable). So the CD went on my back burner.

One day, I was thumbing through my massive ipod library, and I happened to notice Matt’s CD yet again, and so I gave it a listen. I must say, that I am glad that I gave him a second chance. Like some of my favorite CDs of recent past (most notably, Matt Kearney’s Nothing Left to Lose,as well as a fellow 2007 best of list artist, Jon McLaughlin’s Indiana),Matt’s earnest rock sound, alternative-rootsy feel, and warm male vocals reeled me in. The piano and acoustic-twinged rock made me sit up and take notice of this guy whom I had never heard of, other than the mention on iTunes that only got me “sort of” interested in the first place. Clearly, there is something more to him than him being “another male alternative vocalist”; Matt has put together a damn fine CD with Some Mad Hope.

Several songs on his record are upbeat, and most are radio-worthy; but it is the few stand outs that remind me of one of my all time favorite artists, Bebo Norman, that get me every time. Those are the reason that this disc made my year end list, but the overall consistency of quality music on the disc is the reason it made the top 31. This is one of those records that people at the CW would look to for backing tracks on their teen dramas, as I am sure they may already have, and I think that they would have a great list of 12 consistently good tracks to choose for the right occasion. The entire CD is a solid listen, beginning, middle, and end; I can even think of a few songs that I would play during the right moment, and I am glad to have discovered them to enjoy for myself.

My Favorites from Some Mad Hope:
Come On Get Higher, Heartbreak World, Bulletproof Weeks (my personal favorite), and Gone.

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