Passenger – All the Little Lights

This is another review I did for the online music service KKBox last year. While I liked the Jamie Cullum album slightly better, this one was pretty good too (though Rosenberg's voice is something of an acquired taste). As noted in the review, one of the best things about it is the lyrics, though a lot of the tunes are quite good as well.

All the Little Lights is the fourth solo album by British singer-songwriter Mike Rosenberg, who goes by the stage name Passenger. Rosenberg, who cites Bob Dylan, Neil Young and particularly Paul Simon as influences, originally formed Passenger as a band in 2003, and the group released one album which was critically well-received. After the band broke up in 2009, Rosenberg went to Australia and continued performing as Passenger, traveling around in both Australia and the UK and busking wherever he went. He released three albums, including one limited edition release. All the Little Lights was recorded in Australia and was released in 2012. Helped by the exposure Passenger has gained touring with his friend Ed Sheeran, the album has become an international success over the past year, hitting the top 10 in numerous countries around the world.

The album opens with “Things That Stop You Dreaming”, which features a prominent string backing along with Rosenberg’s guitar. Rosenberg has stated that All the Little Lights is a departure from the simple, guitar-only arrangements of some of his previous albums, and this song is a good example of the more elaborate arrangements this album features. The clever rhyming in the lyrics also grabs the listener’s attention, showing another of Rosenberg’s strengths, namely his well-written lyrics. The second track is “Let Her Go”, a heartfelt ballad that has become an international hit, topping the charts in numerous countries and reaching No. 2 in his native UK. While these and the subsequent tracks can all be classified as folk rock, Passenger helps keep things interesting by alternating more upbeat songs like the banjo-based “Staring at the Stars” with ballads like “All the Little Lights”. Among the standout tracks are the upbeat “The Wrong Direction”, which features more great lyrics with clever wordplay and a well-placed horn solo, and “Circles”, a melodic ballad which makes very effective use of strings. The second half of the album opens with “Keep on Walking”, a distinctive track with a prominent piano and a country rock sound reminiscent of singers like Jackson Browne and Bob Seger, plus another good set of lyrics about a wandering life, no doubt inspired by Rosenberg’s years as a busking musician. One of the best songs on this half of the album is “Life’s for the Living”, which starts out slow but uses horns and other instrumentation to build into a powerful track with a serious message about making the most of life. The catchy “Holes” is the most recent single off the album, and is another strong track. The album closes with “I Hate”, a song that was recorded live at a performance in London. It’s a very funny rant about things Rosenberg hates, and while it is quite different from the rest of the album, it makes a great closer.

In its most basic form, Passenger’s music is folk music, with Rosenberg’s voice and guitar at the center of the sound, but the variety of instrumentation and arrangements on All the Little Lights ensure that the album doesn’t become monotonous musically. Rosenberg’s voice, which has drawn comparisons to Cat Stevens, James Blunt and Ben Howard, is very distinctive as well. It may not immediately appeal to everyone, but most listeners react positively to it, with some people considering it one of his greatest strengths. His most obvious strong point, however, is his lyrics, which are thoughtful and often witty. He also seems to genuinely care about bringing his music to people, which shows in his heartfelt performances. Despite his recent success, he still likes to go out busking, so keep an eye out for him on a street corner near you.