Tell all your Nurses and your Nuns about It

Brett Dennen

Hope for the Hopeless

Dualtone, 2008

produced by John Alagia

singles- 

• Make You Crazy
• Heaven

I confess, the single Ain't No Reason brought me here, and originally I intended to buy the album that song is on.  Instead, I got this one, by accident, but I don't care because it's awesome.  If you enjoy folk/rock (and by that I mean more like Dylan, and less like Mumford and Sons), this guy is a solid choice.

The songs are all well-meaning, nice guy lyrics from a dude that loves baseball and easy going California living.  His idol is Van Morrison, and it shows.  Also, he teams up with Femi Kuti from Positive Force, and Natalie Merchant from 10,000 Maniacs.  

Arik Danielsen from PopMatters said Dennen is "No Dylan or Lennon, but he does capture the spirit of a generation attracted to the hopeful promise they witnessed in the Obama canidacy".  Although he is no Dylan, or Lennon, or Morrison, these obvious influences leak out into Dennen's music, and it's awesome.