2008 Woodie Awards
Jon McLaughlin makes piano rock for God
Ben Collins
Issue date: 2/1/07 Section: Arts and Entertainment
It would be a lot easier to take Jon McLaughlin's Indiana as some dime-a-dozen, mediocre, Maroon 5-wannabe pop music. Really, it would save a ton of time.
It would, after all, allow us to use any or all of these following jabs. This album: (a) lets us know where Nick Lachey has been in the past year; (b) proves that you can fill up an entire piano-driven album with a severe allergy to the black keys on the piano; (c) write lyrics to a major label release with nothing but collected lines from the climax of The Notebook.
But when listening to this Indiana native's Island Records debut, there's a pretty strong feeling that Jon McLaughlin is trying to sneak something past us.
It's not so easy to hear in the opener "Industry" because it's the album's best track and is actually worth listening to. "Beautiful Disaster" isn't altogether too awful, either.
But somewhere around the middle of the album, something becomes glaringly apparent: this is probably Christian music.
Thirteen songs, almost all of them in the key of C. The Harry Connick, Jr. impression on practically every track. The heavy string synthesizers in every bridge. The lyrics in the cleverly titled "People," where, McLaughlin pines, "people doing better / people needing more ... people saving money / people saving things." Very anti-usury of him.
Then there's the song, "Praying to the Wrong God."
This is definitely Christian music.
Mind you, this isn't a bad thing. Thinly veiled Christian rock can work if done properly (see: Buckley, Jeff).
The problem lies in what this CD is supposed to be. The Island press material flaunts the fact that McLaughlin sounds like a mix between Billy Joel and Ben Folds. Lofty expectations, really, for a guy who sounds more like a pubescent Aaron Carter in a Megachurch.
Worse yet is the complete lack of a reference to McLaughlin's blatant religious undertones. Island makes no reference to any holy influences; not a hymn in sight. If McLaughlin is going to write half of his album about the Almighty, the label should at least let us know what we're in for.
However, an Anderson, Indiana Herald Bulletin article provided by Island finally provides some proof in the pious pudding.
"His senior year," the paper reports, "he started to play the keyboard with his youth-group worship band."
Great. It's not just bad Christian rock, it's bad high school Christian rock.
So should Island be punished for not making this a little bit clearer? Is Jon McLaughlin subliminally trying to push the Evangelical agenda?
The better question: Who cares?
It would, after all, allow us to use any or all of these following jabs. This album: (a) lets us know where Nick Lachey has been in the past year; (b) proves that you can fill up an entire piano-driven album with a severe allergy to the black keys on the piano; (c) write lyrics to a major label release with nothing but collected lines from the climax of The Notebook.
But when listening to this Indiana native's Island Records debut, there's a pretty strong feeling that Jon McLaughlin is trying to sneak something past us.
It's not so easy to hear in the opener "Industry" because it's the album's best track and is actually worth listening to. "Beautiful Disaster" isn't altogether too awful, either.
But somewhere around the middle of the album, something becomes glaringly apparent: this is probably Christian music.
Thirteen songs, almost all of them in the key of C. The Harry Connick, Jr. impression on practically every track. The heavy string synthesizers in every bridge. The lyrics in the cleverly titled "People," where, McLaughlin pines, "people doing better / people needing more ... people saving money / people saving things." Very anti-usury of him.
Then there's the song, "Praying to the Wrong God."
This is definitely Christian music.
Mind you, this isn't a bad thing. Thinly veiled Christian rock can work if done properly (see: Buckley, Jeff).
The problem lies in what this CD is supposed to be. The Island press material flaunts the fact that McLaughlin sounds like a mix between Billy Joel and Ben Folds. Lofty expectations, really, for a guy who sounds more like a pubescent Aaron Carter in a Megachurch.
Worse yet is the complete lack of a reference to McLaughlin's blatant religious undertones. Island makes no reference to any holy influences; not a hymn in sight. If McLaughlin is going to write half of his album about the Almighty, the label should at least let us know what we're in for.
However, an Anderson, Indiana Herald Bulletin article provided by Island finally provides some proof in the pious pudding.
"His senior year," the paper reports, "he started to play the keyboard with his youth-group worship band."
Great. It's not just bad Christian rock, it's bad high school Christian rock.
So should Island be punished for not making this a little bit clearer? Is Jon McLaughlin subliminally trying to push the Evangelical agenda?
The better question: Who cares?
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 27
holly
posted 3/01/07 @ 7:29 PM EST
so you wanted to hate it, didn't, then were put off by its unoffensive lyrical content and the artist's church-going? hmm, sounds like a real no-talent bust . (Continued…)
Patrick
posted 4/01/07 @ 11:31 PM EST
Must everyone wear his or her heart on his sleeve? I shouldn't think so. Is he entitled to write mainstream music with allusions to his faith? Why not? Does an artist's motivations in crafting his pieces require full disclosure of his intentions? Please, get off your soapbox. (Continued…)
Joelle
posted 4/06/07 @ 12:36 PM EST
I got the free download from ITunes a couple of days ago for Beautiful Disaster and loved it. I ended up buying his other three songs that are available. (Continued…)
Nate Adams
posted 4/07/07 @ 1:05 AM EST
Mr. Collins,
Your adaptation to this world and all of its formulaic indulgences is obvious in this highly-critical and despicable article. Maroon 5? The most popular artists today are the ones lost in a duldrum of normalcy and blandness. (Continued…)
Drew
posted 4/17/07 @ 11:34 PM EST
Ben,
Given that this wasn't in "opinion" or "editorial" I would have expected a little more straight story writing. You're obviously not good enough at what you do to leave your own prejudice behind when you write. (Continued…)
Doug Moore
posted 5/24/07 @ 7:46 PM EST
Who cares? Hahh! Quite obviously, you do. Good thing - it's better to be currently biased against God than to not give a rat's rear at all.
Jasmine
posted 5/28/07 @ 4:07 PM EST
Wait so you're saying that just cause he learned his piano at a youth group he can't play good or sing? Cuz he CAN sing and CAN play the piano. so that's total BS. (Continued…)
Nicole
posted 6/04/07 @ 4:42 PM EST
I read this article after stumbling upon it and was literally aghast. Seeing as Jon McLaughlin wrote this music I think he is perfectly entitled to make it about anything he pleases, whether it's about his devotion to the Lord or about his cousin's left pinky toe! Who are you to judge, Mr. (Continued…)
Jericho
posted 6/16/07 @ 12:29 AM EST
Wow, I'm impressed. You have no one with you on this argument. That's hilarious actually. Considering how "uncool" it is to be a Christian, let alone mainstream Christian, in the world today. (Continued…)
Justin
posted 10/02/07 @ 11:24 AM EST
I agree with the author 100%. I'm so sick of the Evangelical agenda being subliminally pushed down our throats in this country. Island should be ashamed of themselves for not being honest and promoting him for what he is--a contemporary Christian artist. (Continued…)
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