The Hopeful and the Unafraid

This album takes a stab at capturing some of the energy Jason loves putting into every show he plays, whether there are five or fifty people present. For the most part it succeeds, but to say that these are the 'definitive' or 'final' or 'best' versions of these songs would be unrealistic, it would be straight-up false, actually. Jason says he's come to grips with the fact that it can never be just the way he wants in the studio; that the passionate, in-the-moment rush of doing these tunes in a basement full of singing, sweating friends is where his affection really lies. This is a bittersweet notion, but maybe explains why someone would spend half a decade on the road, trying to connect with people anywhere and everywhere, wanting to make them happy, to make them feel alive.