This 29 year old Virginia native is one earnest musician, back with his sophomore effort consisting 12 tracks that sound catchier, funkier and more adventurous than his successful Remedy and You And I Both. Don't be deceived by his seemingly mellow opening tune, 'Life Is Wonderful'. It's just the beginning of his eclectic trip of self discovery just like this pseudo self-titled album, Mr A-Z where everything from the CD inlay to his webbie is styled like a school, with shots of the chalkboard, the classroom - all inked with the playful charm of a hardworking schoolboy who knows when to party too! You can tell he loves his music, life and the English language by aptly having a track called 'Wordplay'. He makes it hard to pigeonhole his music, and rightly so, you probably shouldn't really try but if you really need an idea, you can think along the lines of a more experimental Jamie Cullum. It's a good reason to let yourself go, soak in the vast genres and soundscapes he tries to depict through his vocals. He masters amazing grooves, spewing chock-a-block lyrics effortlessly and even does a throwback to The Cure and the 80s on "Clockwatching" by mixing an original techno groove. Voila!
