SF's resident rock star Matt Nathanson has released his ninth studio album, Modern Love, a solid follow up to the critically-acclaimed Some Mad Hope.
The title track is among the stand outs: his lyrics, voice and music ache with a longing for authenticity in the romantic connections we have today. He sings of a girl hardened by heartbreak: "I carried hope and heavy day dreams...this modern love is not enough. She said watch your back, I'm nobody's girlfriend." The entire album is a deep contemplation on attraction, sustaining connections and, naturally, losing connections. Thankfully, Nathanson keeps it fun with bouncy pop songs about falling in love such as "Faster" and motivational anthems such as "Mercy (Less Drowning, More Land)."
Nathanson embodies what listeners want in an alternative rock artist: his songs reflect what you've been repeating over and over in your head, and remind you that another person knows exactly how you feel.
--Shauna Keddy
