While listening to This Lonely Mile, the second effort from Will Bowen, I was shocked to find that the artist is merely at the tender age of seventeen. Thinking of teenage "musicians," some may be met with disturbing thoughts of Britney Spears or Justin Timberlake, whose target audience are pre-pubescent girls. Bowen would surely prove to be much too confusing for this target audience. His lyrics are mature and intelligent, while his melodies and arrangements are beautiful.

Remarkable acoustic intros, great drumbeats and beautiful guitar riffs tie together a perfectly crafted album. A song like "Quite Like You" is a perfect example of Bowen’s musicianship. The piano intro works nicely with his raspy voice and when he sings the lyrics "Every time she smiles at me an angel gets their wings," it's hard to imagine that a seventeen-year-old is behind all of this. Although the tune "Sweet Colleen" is an AM radio edit and sounds like Bowen is recording in a tunnel, I honestly can not find any qualms with this record. The young musician even utilizes the organ as well as horns for spice, and surprisingly enough, it works.

Husky voiced and amazingly talented with a guitar (as well as an organ), this up and coming young artist may soon be on everyone’s lips as the topic of conversation. His folky pop music is certainly worthy of being talked about. I would highly recommend this record to fans of the neo-folk singer/songwriter genre (Dave Matthews, Jack Johnson, John Mayer). This record will not be a let down.

www.willbowen.com