Are you one of those listeners who turns to Coldplay for guaranteed pleasure to the ears, but feel that you need to be stimulated with a new array of music? Since Coldplay won’t be releasing a new album, well… today, I have another artist to recommend that might be able to get the job done– Greg Laswell. While I do like Coldplay, their music tends to stick more to the books, with a non-offensive, very effective formula for producing alternative rock. Laswell uses a similar formula for a few of the songs on his 2006 release, Through Toledo, but there is also an experimental element present in a handful of his songs which add depth. This risk-taking strays away from the neutrality characterizing many artists, making it harder to please everyone, but at the same time, gaining a loyal following.

Greg Laswell is from Long Beach, CA, and moved to San Diego, where he became involved with the music scene while attending college. He produced different artists while there, and before recently going solo, he was in the band, Shillglen. He also founded All the Rest Records, which went out of business in 2004, after which he started 20 Inch Records. Through Toledo is an album that revolves around love, and the pain that Laswell felt after learning that his wife was leaving him. The album, however, does not come across as just another one of those self-pitying, “the world has been so cruel to me” albums. It was carefully constructed, and as a unique feature, Laswell plays almost every instrument you hear on the album, even though it at time sounds like a band. For any Coldplay, Sondre Lerche, or Jeff Buckley fan, this album comes highly recommended.

Through Toledo:

Greg Laswell – High and Low

Greg Laswell – Do What I Can

Bonus:

Greg Laswell – What A Day (single)

Site | Myspace

check out NPR for 4 minute interview, and his myspace for some more songs and video posts.