For fans of Jason Mraz and Jack Johnson there is a new kid on the block: Jon Troast. Troast released his second album ‘Living Room’ on Jan. 19 and I have been playing it on repeat ever since. The songs are catchy, the lyrics are thoughtful and it is nice and low key. The topics of each of his songs connect to the listener in different ways and keep it listening for the whole album.

The first song on the album, ‘Somewhere Down the Road,’ has a melancholy feel with a beautiful slow counter-melody on a cello and lyrics describing what seems like a particularly difficult goodbye, something most college students can relate to, whether it be a long-distance relationship or just saying goodbye to family. With promises of meeting again the song leaves the listener a little more hopeful than when they started.

The album picks up the tempo with a fun song ‘Favorites.’ With the line ‘if you ask me my favorite person place and time I’ll say you here by this boat is fine’ Troast draws in the listener and proceeds to explain that favorites are unnecessary and it really doesn’t matter, as long as you’re happy. It indicates that picking favorites takes the emphasis off what is truly important in life: happiness. It leaves the listener pondering, and singing it in their head for the better part of the day.

Another song worth mentioning is “They Call Her Mama,” a tribute to one of the most important figures in everybody’s family – their mom. It is a fun song that reminds the listener how nice it is to have a mother and how different life would be without her.

While Troast’s song topics are not mainstream, they are poignant and meaningful to the listener. The tunes are catchy, the lyrics are fantastic and the attitude is chill. You can play his songs over and over and find something new with each listen. ‘Living Room’ is a short album, but it is one of the most enjoyable I have a listened to in a while. I would recommend it to anyone.

You can go to Jon Troast’s Web site and find a free download for his first album if you want to listen to some of his songs before buying the album. And if you want to know more about him, why he plays in people’s living rooms and how he got his start, check out his interview with the Creightonian in this week’s Scene Section!