What have we here? A five track EP from a singer called Michael James, that what! He's from Denver, by the way, and he trends a well beaten path - that of the emotionally charged singer songwriter.
Certainly there is mainstream appeal in the songs that make up this EP. The jaunty - and perhaps cynically radio friendly - "So Long" makes a welcome blast out of the speakers and would surely lift the tedium of the rush hour traffic and the intense ballad "Don't Know What I Saw in You" will likewise bring that warm familiar feeling to the coffee and ciabatta crowd. However, it is all delivered in package that is almost too polished and well produced.
There is no doubting Michael James's vocal abilities or his dedication to his art but you get the feeling that he is playing things safe here. Whilst the songs on this EP will be suitable for a wide audience, this approach also means that he just does not distance himself sufficiently from the crowd of similar musicians and bands. Rather than set himself out as something different, he has taken the "build a better mousetrap" approach and whilst that is perfectly valid approach, he is perhaps doing his own talents a disservice in the long run.
Available from CD Baby.