This sensitive, Nashville-based singer/songwriter flashed a penchant for rapping hard-hitting stories between sung choruses on his major-label debut, Nothing Left to Lose. Three years later, Kearney's artistic voice minus the raps plays this album out like a love letter.
All I Have finds Kearney addressing a physically distant love, admitting heartbreak amidst a smooth mix of guitar and piano. On
Closer to Love, a funky backbeat and soulful piano melody kick in after the line,
I guess we're all one phone call from our knees, bolstering the masterful storytelling.
New York to California is a man-and-his-piano ballad with an intimacy that's matched by the haunting, carpe-diem-themed
City of Black & White. There's a push-and-pull dynamic to this album, but despite the rugged soul-searching, the music is soft and warm, often accented with orchestral instrumentation and tender harmonies. While City of Black & White veers from the hard-luck raps featured on Nothing Left to Lose (reminiscent of singer/rapper Everlast), fans of musicians such as the Fray and Coldplay should be especially pleased with the outcome. - iTunes
CD Details
- Release Date: May 19, 2009
- Record Label: Aware / InPop
- UPC: 804147146627
- Number of Discs: 1
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