Mat Kearney

By Debra Akins, contributing editor, GospelMusicChannel.com

It’s been three years since the last full-length studio release from Mat Kearney, and what an evolution for one of the industry’s most talented singer/songwriters. Kearney’s previous offering, Nothing Left to Lose, was his major-label debut, and it opened his music up to a whole new audience of listeners who connected with his gritty, edgy coffeehouse-pop sound. But City of Black & White takes a slightly different turn down a more melodic and polished path – and if Kearney’s listeners follow him there, I think they’ll pleasantly surprised.

While City of Black & White drops most of the rhythm-driven spoken-word beats that were a signature trait on Kearney’s previous efforts, he is arguably more vulnerable and open with the textured and nuanced tracks here. Having spent the past three years on the road, Kearney has transferred those experiences into songs, creating an open-hearted album of self-discovery as he chronicled the people he met and missed during that journey.

Co-produced by Robert Marvin, and recorded last year at Blackbird Studios in Nashville, the album finds Kearney going for a bigger sound, and succeeding. Layered harmonies, electric guitars and bright piano arrangements abound on tracks like “Closer to Love,” “Fire and Rain,” and a sure stand-out – the Coldplay-esque “New York to California.” The emotionally-rich melodies on City are perfectly crafted and assembled on what is undoubtedly one of the best releases of the year.