Sometimes on Jon McKiel's The Nature of Things, the Canadian singer/songwriter sounds like quite an accomplished fellow. He cranks out charming yet subtle melodies with a voice that's delivered in a warm, medium pitch, somewhere between the Lemonheads' Evan Dando and Gin Blossoms' Robin Wilson.

However, these moments are, unfortunately, the best McKiel gets. The Nature of Things almost always sounds as though it's on the brink of something truly special, yet never really gets there. There are a few solid songs -- notably, the rather Blossoms-esque "123 My Friends" and the melancholic "The Cure." McKiel's arrangements are also lended assistance from a mellow, radio-ready indie rock tone and, on some tracks, surprisingly well-integrated horns and delicately laid keys, but the latter often seems punched in to break up a blandness that hangs fog-like over much of the album. The even quieter acoustic breaks are no exception.

Maybe McKiel's lack of zest is part of Nature's failing. He's actually a little more lively than someone like Dando, yet somehow less compelling, maybe due in part to the mostly vague and relatively uninteresting nature of his lyrics.

The Nature of Things is a bit unassuming to really make its mark. More use of dynamics and generally stronger songwriting would benefit McKiel greatly, but there's definite potential for both.

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The Nature of Things