Critic’s Corner: Mike Isberto – ‘More in Love’

We’ve had the opportunity to review a few of Mike Isberto‘s projects by this point, and it’s been interesting to see his development as an artist over the years. With More in Love, Mike delivers a new 7-song EP just a little over a year after his last album – The Last Train. TLT was a strong, though not perfect, collection of songs so we’re looking forward to seeing how the latest and greatest from Mr. Isberto holds up in this review.

The EP starts off on a strong note with the well balanced “True North” opening us up. This song in particular plays to Mike’s strengths and offers a well written, smooth mid-tempo Acoustic-Pop tune. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, but this is the reason why we draw the male Colbie Caillat comparisons (not a bad thing).

But interestingly enough, it’s the slower songs on this particular project that shine the most. When the percussion and tempo is pared down, we’re left with pensive and heartfelt songs that engage the listener. “Lullaby Rain” and “Perfect Day” make great use of sparse instrumentation, leaving room for Mike’s subtle and introspective vocal to take center stage.

Yet on some of the other tracks, where the beat picks up a tad, we lose that emotive connection and are left with pleasant but ultimately unmemorable songs. A good example of this is “I Can’t Sleep” which failed to ever fully draw me in. To a lesser degree, I had a similar sentiment about the the title track “More In Love” as well. There’s nothing objectionable about these songs, they just didn’t leave much of an impression at all.

Conclusion? With More in Love, Mike has begun to subtly exhibit a touch more emotive range and dynamic with his vocals – something we noted needed work with his last release. The EP as a whole has a very earnest feel, with a tinge of melancholy and nostalgia; it’s kind of like remembering a lost summer love from one’s childhood. It’s easy to listen and sing along to and is overall very pleasant. That being said we’re not seeing him stray too far from his tried and true formula and can see that he’s reveling in his comfort zone. We wouldn’t mind if he tried to stretch himself a tad more in the future.

Must Listen: True North; Lullaby Rain, So Lost

a-Tunes Score: 8/10

Purchase: Amazon, iTunes, Spotify