Let It Go

Jon Regen started his recording career as a jazz pianist but quickly evolved into a promising career as a singer/songwriter. With a writing style similar to Randy Newman, complemented by his effective touch on piano (like Bruce Hornsby, who comfortably switches between the two musical styles) and his hip vocals, he offers a dozen originals on this outing. His opener is the loping, catchy "Let It Go." The Police's Andy Summers is a guest on two tracks, including the infectious "Close to Me" and the insistent "Finding My Way Back to Me." It's hard not to be drawn in by Regen's emotional ballad "Better Days" and the bittersweet "Photographs of You." While Regen occasionally overdubs a bit of organ behind his piano, he plays Wurlitzer exclusively in "Finished with This," which muddies the distinctiveness of his keyboard touch.