Childhood memories and superstitions, grown up relationships and the art of living off minimum wage are all topics on The Mountains & the Trees debut full-length. With help from his musical friends, Jon Janes has graced us with I Made This for You, a wonderful collection of modern folk songs with refreshing pop sensibilities and lyrics that are simple and honest. Janes’s subtle guitar style is rounded out by a wide and unique array of instruments from the banjo to the bodhran. But, the icing on the cake is the beautiful vocals of Jillian Freeman on several tracks, especially Crossing Crowns and the heartbreaking Wedding Song. Add this to the long list of great East coast indie fare. It also seems appropriate to thank whomever the titular ‘You’ is that this record was made for. Download More & More & More and Minimum Wage Lovers for free at http://bit.ly/bQ2XzA.

Published in Volume 65, Number 1 of The Uniter (September 2, 2010)