LABEL: UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC RECORDS
RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 2, 2011

o, I’ve decided I like Mat Kearney. Before hearing Young Love, I only had two significant encounters with his music. The first was through that song – you know, the one on the radio about pushing the pedal down and watching the world fly by (“Nothing Left to Lose”). That song never really grabbed my attention, but at some point I found out it was by a dude who’s music could be found in Christian bookstores. I thought that was kind of cool. The second encounter was when a friend of mine posted “Fire & Rain” – a track off his third release (The City of Black and White) – as her Facebook status. “Fire & Rain” hooked me much more than “Nothing Left to Lose.” In fact, I liked it so much that whoever added it to YouTube must have noticed a spike in views.

Hearing “Fire & Rain” led me to download Young Love, not realizing that the song came from an earlier release. I was disappointed when I realized I had the wrong album, but that feeling faded as soon as I gave a listen to what I had.

As the title suggests, Kearney’s latest focuses on every pop songsmith’s favorite topic. Lest you think he needs an excuse, he did tie the knot in June 2010. In a recent interview with Relevant magazine, Kearney described his relationship with his wife as a muse: “A lot of songs were written about us and our journey” he said, “just two people trying to connect and…trying to deal with themselves and where they fall short and where they succeed. That’s what Young Love is about.”

Kearney’s focus is evident from the get-go with the embarrassingly-titled “Hey Mama,” a catchy proclamation of his affection (Hey lover / Don’t want no other / Finger for my ring). The song is fun and upbeat, but Kearney’s picture of courtship isn’t all smooth sailing. He admits that the object of his affection doesn’t know what she wants to be and that the two of them couldn’t be more opposite (I’m hard to please / You’re hard to get). This kind of authenticity is one of Kearney’s strengths, and it runs throughout the album.

“Ships in the Night” follows and features Kearney’s trademark spoken-word verses. It’s a solid track, but it’s eclipsed by “Count on Me,” a tasty slice of ear candy driven by a great beat and punctuated by children’s voices. “Sooner or Later” proclaims Kearney’s willingness to persevere in life and his desire to do it alongside that special someone (Sooner or later / We’re gonna make it / Milk and honey till we get our fill / I’ll keep chasing and I always will). Both “Count on Me” and “Sooner or Later” are great examples of Kearney’s ability to construct perfect pop melodies and momentum-building pre-choruses.

As good as the aforementioned songs are, the most instantly infectious and endearing track has to be “She Got the Honey,” a humorous recollection of the first stage of Kearney’s relationship. Kearney persists in pursuit despite mixed signals (Says she likes me to all of her friends / Cold shoulder is what she pretends) and the busy-ness of life (She got a call / Gotta go, goodbye). The beat is so pronounced it sounds like it’s about to leap out the speakers. If I could only keep one track, this would be my pick.

There are a few points where things slow down. “Learning to Love Again” is an example. With a simple and moving melody, Kearney paints an aching picture of a man longing for companionship (Making up your bed that day on a foreign floor / Between foreign walls / Thinking ’bout the words you’d say / To a phone that never calls). “Rochester” appropriately reduces the instrumentation to an acoustic guitar and keyboard pad, placing the focus on the story of his father’s life. Here Kearney demonstrates a keen ability to pack an emotional punch with his lyrics. He does the same on “Seventeen,” a bonus track for those who purchase the album digitally. “Seventeen” appears to be autobiographical (and confessional) as it recalls a high school relationship that moved too fast and resulted in a miscarriage. At the end of the song, Kearney contrasts his experience as a seventeen-year-old with the fear and joy of realizing his wife is now pregnant. Funny how the years / Switch around the tears, he observes. Poignant and vulnerable stuff.

In summary, Young Love is engaging, authentic, accessible and fun. I’m out of touch with what’s on top 40 radio these days, but I’m pretty sure Kearney makes the kind of stuff that belongs there. And unlike a lot of that material, if Kearney’s music came on the dial I’m pretty sure I’d turn it up – whether I had heard it before or not. Recommended.