Jon McLaughlin has risen from the farmlands of The Midwest to the shining beacons of New York City and Los Angeles to showcase his style of songwriting. He returns with yet another album on Ok Now. “Beating My Heart” which is this disc’s first single opens up everything with a twinkling piano accompaniment followed by rich falsetto, light strummings and pop rock sensibilities. “Four Years” is a bit harsher than “Beating My Heart” but still has that mainstream quality to his style with softer tones and funkier grooves as this could be this year’s college graduation anthem.

McLaughlin offers up a flowery ballad with “Things That You Say” as he aembraces fully the singer/songwriter motif that he’s been getting known for since his inception into the music business as he utilizes a smoky tenor note behind heart-wrenching piano, orchestral arrangements and warm guitars. “The Middle” is more laid-back than “Things That You Say” as it’s a stripped-down composition of acoustics and Jon tickling the ivory bars with hints of guitar and snares creating a nice contemporary sound. He brings a cross between soft rock and pop music with “Always On My Mind” as it’s a lovely track showing his devotion to that special someone set to uplifting rhythms and soulful melodies.

McLaughlin tries his hand at rock and roll with “Dance Your Life Away” as he transcends poppy hooks and honors old school ‘80s new wave with this one. “Throw My Life Around” gets us back to what a majority of the list had on here and that was easy-going tunes as he uses more guitar and drums than piano creating a beautiful presence. Ok Now ends silently with “We All Need Saving” as it’s a quaint lyric full of life and acapella ending this on a serene way. Jon McLaughlin has a gift for this genre of music and Ok Now definitely brings him forward.