It may be easy to figure out where Michigander is from, but it’s much harder to pinpoint where Jason Singer’s project fits in the soundscape of music today. He blends rock and pop together in a way that is somehow both and neither at the same time. His ear for melody is solid, with lyrics that range from broken-hearted to hopeless romanticism.

Here in Chicago, opening for Arkells at Sleeping Village, Singer held court for over forty minutes. He asked multiple times if the crowd was still with him, and it was always a resounding yes (no small feat for a show that didn’t start until 11pm). There was a small but vocal Michigander fan club in the middle of the audience that let him know how much they loved him at every opportunity, which I think gave Singer some added confidence.

Speaking of confidence, I’d like to send him a quick shout out for having the stones to end the set with a brand new song that might not be out for a few months and asking the audience to sing along. Holy cow. Fortunately it was an amiable crowd and they did their best to get it right.

He also did a couple of the singles he’s put out earlier this year, as well as his biggest hit to date, “Nineties.” If you like one, I think you’d like them all. The sound doesn’t deviate too much, though at a live show he does let loose and the band rocks out a little more than they do on the recorded versions.