Mat Kearney was just like any other college student. He was majoring in literature at Chico State University in California.
He would sometimes pick up his roommate's acoustic guitar, even though he didn't know any songs. So in order to play, he would create his own.
And just like most other students, he liked the occasional road trip. But one in particular had a lasting impact.
After his junior year, Kearney helped his friend move to Nashville. They packed all of their things into the back of a pickup truck and traveled cross-country. While they were there, the two started recording some songs, and that's when Kearney realized he wasn't going back — to Chico state, or to his home in Oregon.
The inspiration for his recent release, Nothing Left to Lose, comes mainly from his decision to stay in Tennessee. He took a chance, and it seems to be paying off. Not only was he featured as one of AOL Music's emerging artist series, Breakers, but he also toured this summer with John Mayer and Sheryl Crow.
Kearney's music blends multiple influences to create a sound different from anything listeners have ever heard. In high school, Kearney was interested in the classics, like Miles Davis and James Brown, but also De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, and his eclectic taste comes through in his own sound. His album is part acoustic, part pop and part hip-hop. Kearney even incorporates spoken word in his folk sound because of his original interest in poetry and writing.
Nothing Left to Lose begins with "Undeniable." The song starts with the simple plucking of guitar strings, and then expands to an infectious chorus. That's when listeners are hit with the spoken word, inspired by his various musical influences.
The title track best describes Kearney's move to Nashville and his decision to try a career in music. The singer explores an uncertainty for the future and new opportunities on this heartfelt song.
One of the most interesting tracks on the album is "Girl America." Kearney comments on society by singing about a girl (America) who wants more for herself, but continually screws it up. The song also has some serious religious overtones — which is interesting considering Kearney never intended to be a Christian singer.
Lyrics like, "As a crown of thorns was placed to erase/ Each tear that's touched your face/ And his palms and sides were pierced with spears/ He hung in love just to draw you near," make his spiritual influences apparent. However, this showing of faith doesn't seem to be hurting his popularity.
Six of the 13 songs from Nothing Left to Lose have been featured on television, including "Laguna Beach," "One Tree Hill" and "Grey's Anatomy."
"All I Need" is one of those featured songs and has a slow and sweet melody. It's nice to get a break from the spoken word because Kearney has such a great voice. It's a little raspy but has an earnest tone to it. The sincerity is especially important on this song as Kearney sings, "I'm holding on to you, holding on to me/ Maybe it's all we got but it's all I need."
Overall, Nothing Left to Lose is hard to define. Kearney's goal was to avoid being placed in a single genre and he succeeds — at times sounding like rap and at others sounding folksy.
The album is completely unique, and it's all about Kearney's music.
Grade: 4 out of 5
