In 1997 Mike Rosenthal left his job as newspaper reporter in Maine and moved to Austin, TX, to pursue music full time. In 2000 he released his debut self-titled album, a warmly reviewed collection of heartfelt, country-inspired songs about break ups and lonely winters back east. Roughly two years later, he released Movin’ In, an ode to pure pop with a plush production sound and little trace of the twang that suffused earlier efforts. Most recently, his newest album Home is complete. It marks a natural return to the plain-spoken intimacy of his early work. Clean arrangements feature an ever-present acoustic guitar, warm keyboards, melodic bass lines and conversational vocals. Yet, stylistically, the album remains true to Rosenthal’s undying love of FM radio rock. A close listen tells the story of a man dealing with personal change, finding love, negotiating loss and, perhaps most of all, finding his place.
