If you’ve kept up for the last couple years, you may have noticed that I have been writing about music and Google Plus since it was still in beta. Thousands of musicians have joined G+ and use it in a multitude of ways. Out of them all, a few names have become almost ubiquitous when the community gets to talking about songwriters. Christoper Joel Thompson is among that circle, and for good reason.

I don’t recall how long I’ve known Chris, but it’s been a while, and I’ve loved every minute of sharing music, laughs, and stories with him. I’ve also heard many of his songs before, and they never fail to delight me. It’s a bit of a shame but, it was just today that I finally got over to ReverbNation for a listen to the full arrangements, today.

Like I said, hanging out with Thompson on G+ has be”easyen a great introduction to the depth of the songs, which I’ve heard performed live with just guitar and vocal, along with a slew of great cover songs that are always spot on in conveying the original without attempt at “copying” the singer. Often when one is familiar with songs like “Mirror Mirror” and “Carolina” (which is without question my favorite of the ballads) in that intimate way of  a “raw” and personal performance, the recorded versions can be a let down but, that’s not the case with these.

Nice bits of mandolin, simple drums and beat samples, sweet piano and guitar with an occasional synth and great effects ornament the vocals in just the right ways to build a real foundation for Thompson’s lyrics. He does take it all to a different playground on the funky popish “Easy Like That,” which showcases a completely different side to his chops and is my fave of the lot, at least it is today…

Chris has been featured on “Let’s Talk About Music,” The Songwriter’s Collaboration Hangout” and other popular G+ live shows. He’s also very active as a live performer on Second Life, where he has a dedicated following as well.