Jon McLaughlin was born in Anderson, Indiana and he has released 3 albums independently before signing with Razor & Tie Records this year. His debut album with the new record company is entitled “Promising Promises” and it is set to be released on May 22, 2012. He has already performed on The Today Show, The Academy Awards, and his songs have been featured in numerous TV shows and movies. In 2008, Jon had the chance to perform one of his songs, “So Close,” in the movie “Enchanted,” which starred Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey. Also, he has shared the stage with Adele, Kelly Clarkson, and Colby Caillat. Jon is a very talented musical artist that will be a breakout star in due time.

I thought this was a very well constructed album that will appeal and be relatable to a lot of people. Jon’s musical style is similar to Jason Mraz, Gavin Degraw, and John Mayer, but he has some elements to his music that he holds over these other artist. He has a great voice and his vocal range is amazing. I can listen to him sing all day long if I had the time. His lyrics are emotionally deep, well thought out, and straight to the point. Lastly, his instrumentals and his piano playing are what really set him apart from the other artists in his genre. He had me hooked from the first song on the album (“Promising Promises”) all the way to the last song.

The album has a good mix of slow and more upbeat songs. He also had a couple of duets (Xenia Martinez and Sara Bareilles) on the album where things were changed up a bit, which was good, but always complemented Jon on the song and he was never outshined. This is one of the few albums where I can listen to each and every song over and over again without getting sick of it. I can’t wait to see what new material Jon releases next and I will be picking up his older albums for sure. I highly recommend this album and I think each person that listens to it will be able to relate to it in one form or another. Jon is on the verge of stardom and mainstream success if he continues to release high quality albums like “Promising Promises.” For those reasons, I am giving this album an “A.”