Acerbic, self-aware and irreverent, Matt Nathanson sings beautifully cathartic songs that threaten to break your heart. But then, just when you need it most, he says something so wholly inappropriate, or recounts a hilarious story (often one that inspired a song) with such detail and candor, that you can't help but fall in love. Armed with a 12 -string guitar, an arsenal of confessional songs, a cello player named Matt Fish, and the dictum, "It's one thing to be depressed, quite another to be depressing," Nathanson has channeled his self-professed need to be the center of attention into an impressive career as an independent artist.  Thanks to a wildfire word of mouth buzz, Nathanson has built a loyal and impassioned grassroots following that drives countless miles to see him play, tapes his live shows, keeps track of his witty bon mots on fan sites and debates the meaning of his poetic lyrics. His website logs well over a million hits a month.  By turns gentle, summery, hummable, big, groove-laden and rocking, Nathanson's music expresses a strength that belies the urgency of his lyrics.

Some Mad Hope, Nathanson’s sixth studio album (and first for Vanguard), is in many ways his most fully realized work to date. Recorded over the past two and a half years, the 12-song set displays a sonic depth that dovetails perfectly with what he admits is a newfound songwriting confidence.  At the core of Nathanson’s music are his lyrics — deft turns of phrase that can alternately cut deep into the heart or heal it. That’s evident throughout Some Mad Hope, a song cycle of sorts that chronicles the search for a genuine connection, touching on the sensually electric moments as well as the darker frustrations of sifting through the wreckage — in hopes of finding redemption at the end of the day.