- Beating My Heart
- 4 Years
- You Can Never Go Back
- Thing That You Say
- The Middle
- You Are the One I Love
- Always On My Mind
- Smack Into You
- Dance Your Life Away
- Why I'm Talking to You
- Throw My Love Around
- We All Need Saving
It's been just 15 months since Jon McLaughlin made his national debut with Indiana, but a lot has happened in that time. Strong reviews and various movie soundtrack appearances had already made him a rising star, but then his music sales spiked the day after the 25-year-old singer/songwriter performed "So Close" from
Largely produced by John Fields (Jonas Brothers, Lifehouse),
Too often, however, the pop exploration makes McLaughlin's sound indistinct and generic. Much of that is due to the songwriting. With little more than atmosphere going for them, the songs gravitate toward simplistic and repetitive relationship sentiments ("Always on My Mind, "Smack Into You"). At least "Throw My Love Around" succeeds in spite of that, only because it has a better written melody.
McLaughlin is at his best when the lyric is more specific or personable. In "Four Years," he depicts time in high school as frivolous and fleeting. With "You Can Never Go Back," he warns against living in the past (while amusingly giving some musical nods to late '70s pop). He expounds on the need to lean on others during hard times through the harmony-laden "We All Need Saving." The songwriter is at his most confessional with "The Middle," lamenting that fame and celebrity has cost him time with loved ones: "Let me tell you now where I went wrong/Hollywood is just another place I don't belong." As far as spiritual content, only the single "Beating My Heart" vaguely suggests that we exist because God gives us life and purpose.
Despite glossy production, McLaughlin's pop-perfect vocals, and some nice piano runs on his part, it's merely pleasant overall, not memorable. Compared to