Somethin' In The Air (Beyond, 1999)

Mike Younger sounds centuries wiser than his 27 years on this powerful debut, combining large parts of Steve Earle and Bob Dylan along with other influences picked up in his travels around the country.

Although the liner notes gild the lily a bit too much, the proof is in the pudding of Younger's songwriting. Few singer/songwriters since Dylan or Elvis Costello have shown such ability to paint such elaborate pictures in three or five minutes of words and notes. Most notable is the title track. Like most tunes, it is an acoustic, folk-oriented number. However, some rock out a bit, including "If By Chance We Meet Again" and "Little Taste Of Heaven." But fast or slow, all of the well written songs speak volumes about a life spent traveling through America's underbelly and the sights, sounds and feelings experienced.