Johnathan Rice - Trouble is Real

Johnathan Rice’s major label debut is a passionate, ambitious effort that aims for greatness and hits the target more often than not. While I am not as eager as other critics to christen Rice the hope of a new generation of singer-songwriters, Trouble Is Real is a strong foundation upon which to build and certainly points to an artist with a very promising future. On first listen, Rice’s vocal quality is very reminiscent of John Mayer, and he does little to discourage that line of comparison on pleasantly melodic but inconsequential anthems like “So Sweet” and “Leave the Light On.” However, after multiple exposures to the material, one begins to notice a worldly quality to Rice’s voice that suggests a maturity and complexity unusual for someone of his twenty-two years. Rice’s songs work best when he uses that worldly quality to energize ballads of reflection and regret. Songs like “Break So Easy,” “City on Fire” (with its blend of electronic, Celtic and folk elements) and the album’s highlight, “The Acrobat,” are presented with a sincerity that seems effortless. Rice sounds less comfortable when he quickens the tempo but does manage to pull off a wonderful Springsteen impression on the shuffling “Kiss Me Goodbye.” The major fault of Trouble Is Real is its ability to sound overproduced and self-important at times. With such a young artist, I expected a gentler treatment from veteran producer Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley), but several tracks falter under the weight of their aspirations. For example, the good in a cut like “Stay At Home” is lost in the busyness of the arrangement and the oddly unsettling appearance of a children’s choir. Mogis and Rice also attempt to bring interconnectedness to the tracks by using interludes, outros and song fragments that prove mostly unnecessary and distracting. Had Trouble Is Real been a bit more concise (there are sixteen tracks in all), the album would have been an exciting picture of a songwriter with a great deal of natural talent. As it stands, this effort should definitely create excitement over Rice and will hopefully serve as a pledge of what listeners can expect in the future from this young troubadour. [www.johnathanrice.com]