Matt Nathanson
Last of the Great Pretenders
Release Date: Jul 16, 2013
Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter
Record label: Vanguard
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Album Review: Last of the Great Pretenders by Matt Nathanson
Very Good, Based on 3 Critics
Based on rating 8/10
Matt Nathanson's 2013 effort, Last of the Great Pretenders, picks up on the glossy, melodic pop of 2011's Modern Love with a batch of catchy, radio-ready songs loosely conceptualized around Nathanson's adopted home of San Francisco. Although born in Massachusetts, Nathanson relocated to San Francisco in the '90s and built his career. Listening to Last of the Great Pretenders, one gets the sense that Nathanson's experiences living in the city shaped his songwriting, and the album comes off as part diary entry, part love letter.
Based on rating 7/10
“The only one that’s left to trust / My faithless heart wasted us…” Wow. To describe the highlighted lyric as merely poetic would an understatement. Matt Nathanson possesses the wonderful gift to compose songs that are thoughtfully conceived, in the singer/songwriter vein. Not only can Nathanson pen ‘em, he can also sing them with great passion and nuance.
Based on rating 3/5
On Last Of The Great Pretenders, Matt Nathanson channels inspirations familiar to many pop singer-songwriters: odes to cities they love, girl crushes, and an occasional reference to a classic band. That’s not to bastardize the work presented on his eighth studio album. It’s hard to last two years in the music business, let alone his accomplishment of 2013 being his 20th.
'Last of the Great Pretenders'
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