Jann Klose • Mosaic • People Records • Producer: James Frazee • Score: 8 out of 10
On the strength of his previous record, Reverie, the NYC-based singer-songwriter returns with a batch of songs that will reach out to the listener in a number of satisfying ways. This is a release that accentuates the positive. And it can’t get more upbeat than the appropriately titled “Make it Better.” It’s a bold and broad song that opens with reggae-like syncopation and dives into socially-conscious and heartfelt emotions. “On and On” bears a really lovely and tuneful melody, with accordion accompaniment that gives it a sidewalk café feel. “Still” also features Klose’s stark and mellifluous voice atop warm and tranquil acoustic guitar. Although Klose is a fine tunesmith, he takes an adventurous turn by delivering an especially haunting rendition of Tim Buckley’s “Song to the Siren.” It is an engrossingly ethereal conclusion to a truly fine album.
-Eric A. Harabadian
