Who needs love when you've got silicon and strap ons?4 Out Of 5 Stars
Passnger (aka Mike Rosenberg) are the latest entry it to the singer songwriter as unabashed folkie that has given us some stellar material of late, and "All The Little Lights" is his breakthrough fifth album. Rosenberg is a charming, heartfelt vocalist, albeit one with a wavery voice that all but labels itself as 'earnest.' His specialties are songs about fragile relationships, and the album is loaded with heartbreaks. The main single, "Let Her Go" hit the collective consciousness via the Budweiser commercial where the puppy and the Clydesdale are best friends, and it's kind of hard to miss out on a song as catchy as that one with a commercial as emotionally potent. It's what lead me to "All The Little Lights" to start with,
The remainder is almost as rewarding. While the songs are primarily about relationships and their trials, Rosenberg has a wicked sense of humor, as the lyrical line I pulled from the song "Staring At The Stars" to become the title of this review points out. "The Wrong Direction" is also a lighthearted romp with a nice horn solo (and reminded me a lot of Ed Sheeran). You also get a broader look at his humorous side in the bonus live track, "I Hate," which couples a sing along chorus with a list of things that Rosenberg, well, hates. These include porta-potties, teen-mags and The X Factor while the crowd sha-la-la's along.
"All The Little Lights" walks the balance well. A bit more solid than Sheeran's debut and less bombastic than the likes of Mumford and Sons, Passenger is equal parts delicate and powerful, and "Let her Go" is just a cherry on the top.
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