Matt Nathanson

Editor's Review:

“Nothing surprises me,” sings Matt Nathanson on “Sad Songs,” and that is terribly true about this album. Beneath These Fireworks is choking on overproduced, disposable choruses and “say you’ll never let me go” sentiments. Basically, it’s a Top 40 radio programmer’s dream: completely unchallenging and immediately forgettable. Vocals in the foreground of the mix and frequently repeated choruses sung with completely unremarkable phrasing ensure that your dentist’s assistant will have no trouble singing along as she scrapes the tartar from your molars. As acoustic guitars battle electric guitars for mundanity, the bass is pushed to the back like a stepbrother in a family photo, and some loops prove harder to find than a sober sor-whore on St. Patrick’s Day. This disc is another line in the web of homogeneous pop music that snares the populace.
- Connell Burton McDaniel
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Record Label Universal Released January 2004

Tracks Angel Suspended Sad Songs I Saw Bare Little Victories Pretty The World Curve Of The Earth Bent Lucky Boy Weight Of It All Sing Me Sweet