San Francisco-based singer and songwriter Matt Nathanson’s album, Last of the Great Pretenders, is the successor to his 2011 release Modern Love.
Opener “Earthquake Weather” is a shaky start in the lyrical smarts department, while the arrangement and production can come off as rather too simplistic for his artistic abilities. However, Nathanson does improve as the album plays on. “Kinks Shirt” and the album’s first single “Mission Bells” are catchy enough, and are completely cinematic as Nathanson intended. His keen attentions to the details of everyday life are melded in with pop culture references, creating catchy chorus hooks that don’t leave your head (“Kill the Lights” and “Annie’s Always Waiting”).
Last of the Great Pretenders is a real progression for Nathanson, and the effort to create a musically and lyrically deeper album will definitely be recognized.
The album will be released on July 16th,2013
1. Earthquake Weather
2. Mission Bells
3. Last Days of Summer In San Francisco
4. Kinks Shirt
5. Sky High Honey
6. Annie’s Always Waiting (For the Next One to Leave)
7. Kill the Lights
8. Heart Starts
9. Birthday Girl
10. Sunday New York Times
11. Farewell, December
