Matt Nathanson
Beneath These Fireworks
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Too bad that Matt Nathanson's major-label debut isn't a live album -- when performing with just his guitar and a cellist/sidekick named Matt Fish, Nathanson brings his confessional songs to life with a rare power . . . and a hysterical sense of humor. To see him live is to be at a comedy show peppered with terrific music: one minute the crowd is cracking up, the next they're singing along in unison to Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again," the next, Nathanson's energy is channeled straight into the twelve-string, his voice warm and familiar. But after four self-released albums and an EP, Nathanson doesn't seem particularly phased by the jump to the majors. Rather, the songs on Beneath the Fireworks
Read More become larger, more impassioned without irony: the quiet opener "Angel" is the sweet antithesis of a kickoff track, with its unabashed swooning, while hushed songs like "Little Victories" and "Sing Me Sweet" are complemented by full-band rockers like "Pretty the World" and "Lucky Boy," with its biting conclusion: "You're not gold and there'll be centuries left . . . when you're gone." Matt Nathanson occasionally bites back -- and even pain can feel good.
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