"To a kid from Oregon.."

"...by way of California..."

From the moment I heard those lyrics, I knew that Mat Kearney was a talent I had to follow. Really. I mean, he wrote that song for me, I just know it.

I was a late adopter when it came to buying his debut album, and I worried that after hearing his single on the radio, the rest of his album would quickly grow tiresome. Absolutely not so. I wore that thing out, and two years later, I still bump it into my playlist.

I got the chance to see him live at House of Blues and was again blown away by his talent. When so many artists perform in concert, they make it obvious how much mixing is done on their albums. And some have so little stage presence that it would be a better use of my money to hit play on my iPod while I'm sitting in my own living room. But, truly, Mat Kearney was better in concert than his cd. His voice was beautiful and warm, and you could almost see his love of music pouring out of him. He created an energy onstage that felt like comfort food served with a side of joy.

His new cd is out on May 19, and I am beyond excited about it. The following is a link to his latest single and video. Too sweet.

"Closer to Love"