Just the album's title, Oh! My Troubled Mind gives away so much and skimming over the track listing ("Freedom", "I Went Blind", "Desperate Need", and "Homeless") bolsters the promise of emotive jargon and supporting guitars. Not only did Beckler choose the aforementioned title, but he named two other songs after the concept ("Shadow Bag (Troubled Mind)" and a title track).

However, we've been had once again. Oh sure, Beckler's mind is troubled, but his music is pretty happy about it. His cleaned-up-Dylan vocals, over heavy-set gospel serve the songwriter well. In fact, that's the first half of Beckler's LP; a sweet, foot-tapping warble of a project. It suits him in the most fantastic way. Still, Beckler's not finished after just a few songs; he begins to morph into, or show rather, a rarity in the world of his genre. Variety. Of course, a step outside of the box can be both a good and bad idea. But with "Everything You Say is True" Beckler switches and showcases his voice, as opposed to his catchy supporting music. The guitars slow down and play around with the title track, only to pick themselves back up again with "Desperate Need". Beckler draws to a close with the (dare I even say) Eric Clayton-like "In My hands", and the delightfully heartbreaking spirituality of "Homeless".

The smooth, fractured rhythm of "Oh! My Troubled Mind" displays Beckler's lyrics wonderfully, retelling similar emotions in twelve distinctive ways.

Justin Beckler - Oh! My Troubled Mind

Label:Tough Mama
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