Among the current crop of Adult Contemporary radio-friendly singer-songwriter dudes, Jack Johnson is the chillest, Jason Mraz the funkiest, Ben Harper the most soulful and John Mayer the most talented. (The grandaddy of them all, Dave Matthews, is probably the richest.)
And Brett Dennen, who’ll kick off the Clear Summer Nights concert series Thursday, is definitely the redheaded-ist. He also might just be the most consistent. While all those other guys have had their highs and lows, Dennen — a Northern California kid with four solo albums to his name — has a songbook that screams consistency, as in consistently catchy and compelling. The guy seems to possess a natural talent for fusing pop, rock and folk with a head full of enduring melodies and his fine-grit sandpaper voice, resulting in tunes that’ll bounce around your brain for days.
Want proof? Hit YouTube and take a tour through Dennen’s oeuvre. Even if you’ve never heard him before, chances are good you’ll find your toes tapping and head bopping along. And if you don’t have time for that kind of research, just seek out “Sydney (I’ll Come Running),” the Counting Crows-ish first single from his new album “Loverboy.” Killer song, man. Killer song.
Brett Dennen, with Dawes ; 6:30 p.m. Thursday, doors open 5:30 p.m.; $20, available at Newport Market (541-382-3940); Athletic Club of Bend, 61615 Athletic Club Drive, Bend; www.athleticclub ofbend.com or 541-385-3062.
