Matt Nathanson: At the Point CD Review

He was John Mayer before there was John Mayer. The easy-to-resonate-with lyrics about love and loss. The 20-something, hipster acoustic crooner. The fact is that Matt Nathanson has been under-the-rader for some time now, doing what others have somehow become more successful at. This singer/songwriter has been making lonely sound so good for a long time and he has now finally released his first live disc, At The Point.

Nathanson is actually at his best at his live shows. He has an unbelievably quick wit and likable demeanor which immediately wins the audience over. Plus, he tends to change up the songs and he has a fantastic live voice. Songs such as “Answering Machine” or “Church Clothes” come off sounding better than they did on the album.

Those unfamiliar with Nathanson’s work will find a great way to dive in with At The Point. The set features several songs from his discography, going from Please to his recent major label debut Beneath These Fireworks.

The highlights on here, aside from “Answering Machine,” would be the several pieces focused on relationships. “Fall To Pieces” sounds great and has a good sing-along quality. “Suspended” closes out the set and leaves the album on a high note. “Angel” features some of the strongest lyrics Nathanson has ever written:

angel you sing about beautiful things
and all i want to do is believe
but i traded my dreams for this mess of memories
and they just stopped working for me

If you are new to the world of Matt Nathanson, this is a great time to find out more. For fans already out there, At The Point is the perfect record to add to your collection.