Mat Kearney Undeniable

86. Nothing Left to Lose – Mat Kearney « CCM's 500 Best Albums Of ...

NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE (2006)

Mat Kearney

The best songwriter to come out of CCM in the past decade made his debut in 2004, but it would be his sophomore release, “Nothing Left to Lose,” that made him a household name. Well, if not a household name, there are at least several million household that have heard his music with it being featured on a regular basis on television programs like Grey’s Anatomy and NCIS.

The debut featured a more aggressive, electric and eclectic sound with more of a hip-hop influence than who he really is as an artist. That is why i have heard him mention that the album spotlighted here is his debut album. Nipping at the heels of Gold certification, the album possessed some brilliant songs and moving musical expressions. It is really a collection of beautiful poems expressed in wonderfully crafted pop songs.

Kearney employs a unique talking (NOT rapping) verse structure and singing choruses. Not to be compared to or confused with Lou Reed, the comparison works for the similar verse/chorus structure. Kearney possesses a strong sense of melody and an unbelievable emotional tug on some very slow and lengthy songs. The spoken word verse is closer to Dylan at times but a bit more “on key.”

Though produced and promoted by a Christian label, no artists has made as such an impact on the mainstream radio and television world in the past decade as Kearney. Thoughtful and creative, the album was released two separate times with the latter release (2007) containing a song penned expressly for Grey Anatomy (Breathe In, Breath Out) and was used extensively on the program and on the commercials promoting the show.

The album would contain one monster hit, the title track, and a few others that made some dents on itunes and on Billboard. That one hit, though, is incredibly familiar to nearly anyone that hears it. One more than one occasion I have mentioned Kearny to friends who said they were unfamiliar with his music. Just humming the hook of the chorus will elicit responses of, “I love that song…who does it again?”

The album does contain several songs that were on his debut, but the vast majority possess a drastically different version of the song and, in some cases, sound like totally different songs.

“Undeniable” kicks off the album with a great and unforgettable groove and big hook chorus. This song best displays the interplay between the verse and chorus structure and actually causes the listener to actually not notice the use of the spoken word verses because of the strong melody. The song is a reflection on Kearney’s youth and the dark, grey days of life in school are juxtaposed against the undeniable brilliance of his truest love.

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