"If you are lifting heavy objects, I am not your man" sings
Jon McLaughlin
on "Don't Mess with My Girl," a song where he instructs would-be suitors to steer clear of his paramour. He does this to a chipper, dramatic tune that has its roots in
Billy Joel
but is better seen as a sincere cousin to
Ben Folds
, or perhaps a male
Sara Bareilles
, a considerable step forward from
McLaughlin
's po-faced beginnings.
Like Us
, released nearly a decade after his 2007 major-label debut
Indiana
, capitalizes on the creative comeback he experienced with 2012's
Promising Promises
, finding the singer/songwriter unafraid to push his emotions and melodies to a grand scale, but also allowing himself to indulge in a bit of humor (the ukuleles on "Thank God" don't feel like hipster pandering but rather wry whimsy). As a singer, he remains a little wispy -- it comes as no surprise that he is not one to lift heavy things -- but that underscores the sweetness at the heart of his music, a heart
wears proudly on his immaculate sleeve. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine