Altsounds - John Mclaughlin- Ok Now

This is the follow up to his debut Indianaand pretty much picks up where he left off. The American ‘Singer/Songwriter’ has apparently gone through a transformation since appearing in a Disney film and launching his career from that moment. Even though the entirety of his press releases suggest just that, it is not the case, he is still a rather commercial artist (to put it nicely).

The album itself has a nice pop sound with your typical range of styles and influences for an artist of this variety. You’ve got your classic teen-rock with a Van Halen feel on Beating my Heart, quirky vocal touches on You Can Never Go Back, the soulful Why I’m Talking To You, and the ambient We All Need Saving. Which is by far and away the best song on the album, a crying shame bearing in mind it’s the last track but its subtle, flows nicely and is pleasant in an Enya kind of way.

The whole thing is over-produced, predictable and generic. This is just another Gavin Degraw, Mark Morrison, Sara Bareilles etc… sent down from the record company gods to get plugged in TV programs and films. Even though the production crew is a list as long as your arm there is not an ounce of inspiration and for me there isn’t even a hit single on here. This is the new Dawson’s Creek soundtrack and should create enough soppy, leaving/love scenes to last till the next major American ‘Drama’ takes hold of our airwaves.

From the start it made me feel nauseous in many places and after a few listens I felt the same way. However this album is probably aimed at the same audience as Savage Garden and Duffy, so if you have a brain and prefer to NOT spend your Sunday’s watching The O.C (or any other T4 shw for that matter) then avoid this album at all costs. But it is hard to say that it’s bad, there is nothing technically wrong with it and there is certainly an audience for it.