Jon McLaughlin may have spent the majority of his young existence in a small town in Indiana, but with his major label debut, McLaughlin solidifies the fact that he is well on his way to a much bigger and brighter backdrop. With "Indiana," McLaughlin melds together beautiful piano arrangements with silky smooth vocals while embracing both lyrical and melodic strengths at a time in music where songwriting has become far too formulaic. McLaughlin stands at the helm of what could be the future of the singer/songwriter flagship in today's ever changing musical frontier.

Standouts include the radio hit that is sure to get a lot of airplay this summer, "Beautiful Disaster," the beautifully piano driven piece "Industry," the rocking and extremely catchy "For You From Me," the uptempo hook-heavy "Praying to the Wrong God," and the self titled touching ballad "Indiana."

I'll end the review with some amazing lyrics from the song "Indiana"

"The trick of love is to never let it find you,
It's easy to get over missing out.
I know the hows and whens, but now and then,
She's all I think about."

If you're looking for some deep music with strong lyrics and extremely catchy hooks, look no further than Jon McLaughlin.

I listen to about twelve hours of music a day, need to buy (on average) a new cd every single day to keep my collection from growing stale. (Law school is a killer).

Anyway, I rarely take the time to write a review, but when I saw that this album had only _two_ reviews, I had to write another. This cd rocks! I mostly listen to alternative music, and don't love stuff that is too teenage-girl (i.e. pop). But this cd is just great. And the couple songs on the "bonus" disc are some of my favorites.

Check this album out. I think it's very good.

I'm proud to call Jon McLaughlin a fellow Indiana native. This CD is full of great music - good lyrics, good sound. Great in the background or when you can really listen to the words.

I was excited about this CD because I had just discovered Jon McLaughlin through his wonderful song "So Close" that was featured in the movie "Enchanted". Furthermore, I had heard and liked his single, "Beautiful Disaster" and decided that I'd take the chance and buy this album without listening to it first. Unfortunately, if I could, I would do things over differently because I find myself a bit disappointed with this album. All of the songs sound too similar and I have a hard time listening to the entire album. For me, it isn't an album that I can listen to all the time, but is reserved for certain moods (most of them being of the downbeat nature). I'm sure there are others out there who will disagree with me, and I do think he is a terrific artist, but this album is just a little bit 'blah'. I'm looking forward to his future works.

This album was so NOT a dissapointment. It had it all. At first I was a bit worried because I had only heard the song "SO Close" from Enchanted, and the rest of the album could be just the same, but it has such a vareiety of great songs! His voice is absoulety great, and the songs are so easy to catch up to. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars, was because of the Song "people". I unfortunately didn't like it, but you can't always like every single song, right? :D But anyway, great cd!! I would recommend everyone to buy it!

This cd absolutely rocks. It is so varied. I have told everyone about it. I love his voice! This cd is the best!

This is by far my favorite new artist album of 2007. I bought here on Amazon on a whim, and boy am I glad I did! Jon has an amazing voice and is a talented song writer and musician. I liked every song on this album, which is a rarity to me. Usually there is one or two I don't care for an album, but this one is all great.

Awesome job, Jon, and I can't wait for the next one!

This is an excellent CD and the title song, "Indiana",
is exceptional. Jon McLaughlin also appears briefly as a band singer
in the 2007 movie ENCHANTED where he sings the song "So Close".
He is both attractive and talented. I predict deserved major success for him.

was totally surprised by how good this album was
all the songs are immensely catchy and hooked filled
he is definitely very talented
loved the piano in the songs and the 1st 6 songs are especially good
only bad thing is the extra bonus disc i got was faulty and i couldn't play it in my car
haven't tried it in other machines though
still it's definitely a worth while buy
i have quite a few friends asking me who was this singer was when they were in my car... that's how good this cd is!

Wow is this guy talented! This is a great cd and I guarantee this band will make it big. I've already seen the cds on the front rack at best buy. The soothing sound of the piano mixed with the sweet soulful vocals of Jon McL really bring a new energy into the singer songwriter scene. He's also great live. Definitely pick this up if you are a fan of John Mayer, Dave Matthews, etc.

Outstanding initial major release from an up and coming star from Indiana.
Without a doubt, a stellar opening salvo from an underrated talent. You'll hear more from this young songwriter.

We saw Jon open for Kelly Clarkson and he is absolutley amazing. I love to listen to great piano players and it is wonderful to find an artist who sings well, writes music, and is an amazing piano player.

It is always great to a concert for a singer that you love but even better to discover a new one in the process. Bought the CD based on the live performance and it does not disappoint. I think he tackles issue that every human has experienced and he does it in such a pleasing way. I was giving Reba Duets for Christmas but instead I am giving this.

If you get a chance to check him out in concert don't miss it.

An amazing talented musician/singer with all the right ingredients on this CD. Relaxing yet energizing at the same time! One feels every beautiful note McLaughlin reels off of his piano along with his incredible voice makes for a superb CD. If you've never listened to Jon McLaughlin now is the time with his hit, Indiana!!

Fantastic. I wish he could come to Houston. I lived in Indy for 6 years and cant believe I had never heard of him.. I saw him on one of the late night show and HAD to get the cd. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS CD. You just want more and more now. I cant wait for his next one!

What a gift Jon McLaughlin has been given to make a piano sing as it does when he plays it! I see him going a long way from our shared hometown of Anderson, Indiana, but we'll always welcome him home with open arms.
His music is moving and inspired. You're sure to enjoy listening to both his singing and his mastery at the piano.

Jon McLaughlin will definitely be in the music business for a long, long time. His smooth vocals and amazing piano-playing abilities will make you want to leave this CD on repeat. And although the CD is amazing, his live performances are out of this world. His presence on the piano will leave you speechless as he gets so into the music.

Catch him on tour with Kelly Clarkson this fall!!

Jon McLaughlin is just downright amazing. The perfect definition of a talented musician, in my book. He's an amazing pianist, a beautiful songwriter and a superbly incredible vocalist. This first release from him does a superlative job at proving all of the above. Each of the tracks on the album are very well written and produced and that beautiful tone in his voice as he conveys them is almost therapeutic. That said, the best way to enjoy this album, I think, is with a good pair of noise canceling earphones. Try it!

This Cd is so amazing!I can't stop listening to it.I especially love the Track Indiana.I had a relationship with a guy from Indiana and it really was an inpossible situation because I found out he was married.I imagine this song would have a profound impact on him too.
Every track is excellent though and very relatible.BUY IT!!!

Jon McLaughlin is a refreshing newcomer to the contemporary rock/indie music scene. He may be from Indiana but he is far from a John Melankamp wannabe. Jon's sound is a mix of acoustical, classical and blues. He is someone both young and old can listen to, and find a favorite tune. Beautiful Disaster is wonderful song that speaks deeply of pressures women (young and old) face today. Jon has deep perceptive knack in understanding the pressures faced by young women and seems to be a champion and role model for young men through the song's verse. I have bought multiple CDs and have passed them out to friends and family. People need to support good,clean and innovative musicians like Jon. Good luck Jon as your star rises. Something tells me you will never wander far from your roots.

What can I say. This is the first CD I've owned by this artist. It's really good.

This disc is just amazing it is so good. (I happened upon it through Amazon's "other people who bought this also bought.." marketing. I watched the video, listened to the samples, and signed on. I'm really glad I did). If I were downloading it track by track from iTunes, there is not a track I would skip. There is so much good music here, but also so much heart, it is simply superb (and I don't say that often). In its honesty and musicality, though not in the actual sound, it reminds me of Matt Nathanson's "Beneath These Firworks," another wonderul disc by the way.

The title song is so lovely, and lovingly rendered, that for me it stands out and I find it really moving. The sound of the song Indiana, differs from most of the the rest of the tracks which are louder and more insistent in their beat. His voice is excellent, a delightfully husky tenor; he can really sing, and pretty clearly - you can actually understand most of the lyrics without reading along.

As you can tell, I love the disc and cannot recommend it highly enough. It's a definite buy. It's very special.

UPDATE (Nov., 07): I recently saw Jon live in SF. He is even better in person than on disc. He did some of the songs on the CD but with much more musical complexity and also longer. Ended with a superb Lennon medly. If you have the chance, take him in live. Simply great.

One day, as I was flipping through the T.V. channels, I came across Jon McLaughlin performing in Texas. I was so impressed by him that I immediately went and bought his CD from Amazon. He has a really nice voice, plays the piano beautifully, and is very appealing. I am so glad that I discovered his music.

What a fantastic CD!! I heard one amazing song, "Beautiful Disaster", and decided that I had to hear song samples of the rest. After that, I was sold. The CD is a absolute must!

I thoroughly am enjoying this disc. John is in my eyes very comparable to Gavin DeGraw in that you have an immediate emotional tie to his music. You know that he is truly an artist, and not just someone out there singing a song because he can. I would reccomend this to anyone looking for a new disc to buy.

As of this writing, the Amazon information for this version of the album is missing, so it's hard to figure out what the difference is between the two releases.

There are two versions of Jon McLaughlin's "Indiana". There's the mainstream edition (buying it from Amazon nets you a nice bonus disc with it), and there's the Christian edition of it. The difference between the two albums is one song. The mainstream edition has the song "Amelia's Missing", which includes the line "how in the hell am I supposed to find the one that I love?". The Christian edition removes this song and replaces it with "Proud Father", a ballad about unconditional love.

Jon McLaughlin is an amazing artist which you will find out very quickly after listening to any of his songs. He has an awesome sound and if you get the chance to see him in concert don't pass it up!

Had'nt heard of him before a couple of nights ago. He opened up for Jonny Lang at the historic Lucas Theatre. He was fantastic. AND after he played he hung out in the lobby posing with fans, signing autographs etc. Just bought Indiana.

I have not enjoyed a CD so much in so many years! I can't get enough of his music! Jon is the most refreshing musical artist out there today.

After hearing the single "Beautiful Disaster" on I-tunes, McLaughlin was officially on my radar. Once I listened to the album I was a bit disappointed in that the songs seemed to run together. With the exception of a few, they all sounded very similar with little diversity. The saving grace was in the lyrics. Talking about love and life from happiness to sadness, McLaughlin captured the entire spectrum of human emotion.

If you drive into my home state of Indiana chances are you will be greeted with the slogan, "The Crossroads of America." From a marketing standpoint this catch-phrase is a disaster. A crossroad is a point of decision. It suggests a moment of truth and a decision to change your current direction and move forward. But it implies that you are going somewhere and that you are moving away - anywhere but here. Growing up in Indiana this is how many of us oftentimes felt. That there were always bigger, brighter and better things in the outside world - anywhere but here. McLaughlin's soulful lyrics suggest otherwise. He brings real humanness to his music. Insight, feeling, and roots.

History has no template for our era. Amongst other things, technology, globalization, and pluralism has forever changed our ability to think and feel and relate to one another. What does it mean to love, reflect, pray, read, connect, or to even be a real person, anymore? Listening through this album one gets the impression that there might be something to the nothingness of the state of Indiana. Perhaps we can reconnect with ourselves and each other again. McLaughlin reaches inside to reflect in a way that I think might show us the way to understand ourselves again. Such honesty might just lead the way to something more genuine, a life more authentic.

I wonder if there is something to this routine life in Indiana. How much truth have I discovered as I cycle passed endless cornfields? Or what have I learned by jogging through the heartland while some horse or cow takes a break from chewing long enough to watch me go by with a look on its face that I can only describe as, "curious"? Amidst the uncertainty of 21st century life and the mysteries that are unfolding in our future; as we take in countless images from every corner of the globe; throughout the blitz of information; in a world of increasing dissonance and disunity, I think there is something beautiful here. Something in our nothingness.

Jon McLaughlin may have spent the majority of his young existence in a small town in Indiana, but with his major label debut, McLaughlin solidifies the fact that he is well on his way to a much bigger and brighter backdrop. With "Indiana," McLaughlin melds together beautiful piano arrangements with silky smooth vocals while embracing both lyrical and melodic strengths at a time in music where songwriting has become far too formulaic. McLaughlin stands at the helm of what could be the future of the singer/songwriter flagship in today's ever changing musical frontier.

Standouts include the radio hit that is sure to get a lot of airplay this summer, "Beautiful Disaster," the beautifully piano driven piece "Industry," the rocking and extremely catchy "For You From Me," the uptempo hook-heavy "Praying to the Wrong God," and the self titled touching ballad "Indiana."

I'll end the review with some amazing lyrics from the song "Indiana"

"The trick of love is to never let it find you,
It's easy to get over missing out.
I know the hows and whens, but now and then,
She's all I think about."

If you're looking for some deep music with strong lyrics and extremely catchy hooks, look no further than Jon McLaughlin.

Let's see, I think it's been a couple of weeks now that I've been listening to a song called "Beautiful Disaster". I first heard it when I found a website about the upcoming movie Georgia Rule. I love Jane Fonda and in this film she is complimented by Felicity Huffman and Lindsay Lohan. The film opens in theaters on May 11th, but you won't have to wait that long to find out who sings one of the songs from the movie.

It's Jon McLaughlin. The same Jon McLaughlin who released his debut CD, Indiana, last week. Indiana features "Beautiful Disaster" along with 12 other songs that chronicle Jon's feelings and emotions on a plethora of topics. He has penned lyrics on subjects such as love, girls, faith, family, friends and music.

Before I finished listening to the entire CD, I would have told you that "Beautiful Disaster" was my favorite; now I'm perplexed and can't give you a concrete contestant for the honor of first place. "Industry" is a powerful song that explores the business that Jon has chosen as a career and his hopes and fears on what it might hold.

"Indiana", the album's title track, is special to me because I'm a Midwest girl. I'm a native of Columbus, Ohio - a town with no real discernable geographic attributes - the largest body of water I've seen in Ohio is Lake Erie to the north and the nearest mountain range I've climbed is the one at the putt-putt golf course on the east side of town. Given the assignment, I don't know what kind of song I would write about Ohio. Jon had no such problem when it came to the state of Indiana. He puts the geography of his home state into perspective with these poetic opening lyrics.

I'm glad I've never lived next to the water,
so I could never get used to the beach.
And I'm glad I never grew up on a mountain
to figure out how high the world could reach.

I felt that this piece was an ode, a tribute and a love song.

The third cut on the CD, "Just Give It Time", inspired me. It was one of those moments when you think you've found something that could change your life. Now, come on, you all know that I'm not being over dramatic, we're all looking for a book, a poem, or a song that gives us rhyme and reason - the lyrics in this song did that for me.

Jon McLaughlin is creative. That may sound cliché - so let me explain. Not only does Jon have a crisp melodic sound to his voice, the music and lyrics to the songs were written and composed by him. That's talent - a talent that fascinates and mystifies me. I can play with words, rearrange them on pieces of paper and shuffle them around on computer screens, but with music, it's different. I've always held musical artists in extreme reverence because it's as if they have magical muses that go beyond the meaning of the words and bring to surface the true understanding through sounds arranged in notes and chords. Jon has found that muse.

My hope for Jon McLaughlin is the best of success. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I liked every song on this CD. That doesn't always happen for me and I'm sure it's the same for many of you. This debut is so different. On Indiana, the music and lyrics are like a virtual blog of Jon's life and I felt like I was listening to him sing the words in each entry.

Jon is no doubt a talented, earnest young artist with a long career ahead of him, making and performing great music. This album features many tracks which, unfortunately, get repetitive after a while although it definitely has a place in your music library. He strikes me as a bit of a hybrid of Billy Joel (obvious keyboard influence) and Keane...now that would make for a spectacular combination if there was more gravitas underlying. "Wholesome" is refreshing, but I suspect it's a case of his youth, which simply means that he'll be getting even better as time goes on.

I saw Jon live earlier this year while he was touring with Matt Wertz and was immediately captivated by his unique piano-pop style. Ever since hearing him live I've been looking forward to this album and it absolutely does not disappoint.

The opening song on the album, "Industry", may be the best song I've heard in 2007. With an incredibly upbeat fusion of piano, pop, rock, and original lyrical style it will hook you from the start. The 2nd track, "Beautiful Disaster" has been getting some radio play recently, and is a bit more mellow than the first track but still very good. I really like "Human," a song about how we're all human, and the more upbeat rockish song "Anthem for American Teenagers." Maybe its because I don't know much about the state of Indiana, or because its significantly slower than many of the songs, but for whatever reason the title track, "Indiana," is maybe my least favorite song on the album. I think my two other favorite songs on the album are "Perfect," a beautiful and relatively upbeat love song, and "Until You Got Love" which are the last two songs on the album.

Certainly some are better than others, but I really enjoy every song on this album. I would almost buy this album for "Industry" alone. I would recommend this album to all of my friends and particularly anyone looking for something new and unique or for some good piano driven pop. Buy this album, you will not be disappointed.

Jon graduated from my college, and I have been following him since he signed on with the school record label a few years back. Once I heard that Island/Def Jam had signed him, I knew that America was in for a treat. Here is a true singer/songwriter with true talent. Trust me, you don't want to miss out on this guy. I highly recommend his CD.