CD Review: Mat Kearney's "Young Love"

If you are a fan of Mat Kearney, you are going to want to pick up or download his latest release, "Young Love".  "Young Love" is Kearney's third full length release since he made his debut on the music scene in early 2006.

I first heard the debut single "Hey Mama" and immediately loved it. It is upbeat and has one of those hummable tunes that sticks with you all day (but not in an annoying way).

What pleasantly surprised me about this CD was the vast diversity of the tracks. There are songs that are classicly Mat Kearney such as "Hey Mama" and "Learning to Love Again". On "She's Got the Honey", Kearney mixes reggae with rock in a tune that's eerily similar to the music of Michael Franti. On "Young Dumb and in Love", Kearney mixes genres by fusing rock with contemporary country. It works, and this song will have you on your feet within seconds. The percussion-heavy "Count on Me" is sure to be a hit with the kiddos. With children aiding Kearney on vocals, this song makes me want to grab a few jump ropes and get Double Dutch-ing!

The CD wraps up with "Rochester", a song heavy in lyrical content and meaning. While I understand Kearney's desire to inject a personal anecdote into his music, "Rochester" weighs down an otherwise upbeat and fun CD.

Disclosure: I am writing this review as part of a campaign sponsored by One2One Network. I received a complimentarty copy of Mat Kearney's CD "Young Love" to facilitate this review. I received no additional compensation. All opinions expressed herein are solely mine.