Jason Reeves: The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache

On the spectrum of laid-back, acoustic rock nice guys, Jason Reeves falls somewhere in the middle. While he doesn’t exude the effortless, surfer-dude cool of a Jack Johnson, he can be commended for not possessing the spastic tendencies of a Jason Mraz, either. Reeves is really good at what he does: writing sweet, good-natured tunes (without much lyrical heft) backed by rhythmic folk rock sounds. The only problem is that what Reeves does well has been done and done and done before. It’s unlikely to matter; the mainstream appeal inherent in Reeves’ sound and his closeness to “Bubbly” songstress Colbie Caillat (the ubiquitous hit is one of several tunes the pair have co-written ) seem to suggest a destiny that ends in widespread success. Reeves does have some good tunes here: “Reaching” and “Just Friends,” for example, contain a special spark. It’s just that tracks like “Pretty Eyes” and “New Hampshire” are a bit too much to swallow as is the ill-fated attempt at spoken word “The Fragrant Taste of Rain”. Reeves may already have what it takes to reach success but a willingness to explore something beyond the conventional might ensure the type of viability that would last beyond a few summer radio hits.