ADDICTED TO LOVE Album Review: "A Piece of Me" by Jason Mark Yates By Linda Freeman, TIW Music Back in the summer of '91, when I was learning how to write decent lyrics, Bryan Adams' megahit, "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You," sat on top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 7 weeks and at #1 on the UK Singles chart for 16 weeks. I had the song on repeat, trying to figure out what made the lyrics (written by Adams, Michael Kamen and Robert John "Mutt" Lange) so compelling. What hit home the most was Adams' raspy, earnest voice singing passionately about his love: "Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for You know it's true Everything I do - I do it for you." It's many women's fantasy of what their man would do for them. It's many men's fantasy (I think -- you tell ME!) of what they would do for the woman they loved. Romance and passion, distilled into one song. In many of Jason Mark Yates' songs on "A Piece of Me," the album he released in March of this year, he also captures the essence of romance and passion in his lyrics. His romantic themes vary, and include obsession about a lost love (as in "Tomorrow Never Comes" and the brilliant "Curse the Moon") or about love that is powerful but doomed ("Shifting Sands"), but all are themes that often capture women's hearts. If you don't believe me, look at the box office draws of such movies as "The Notebook" or "Ghost." Yates is a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist from Worcester, UK whose writing partner on some of his music is Darcy Jeavons from California. On "A Piece of Me," Jeavons co-wrote "So Into You," does the background vocal on "Shifting Sands," and produced "The Answer Is You." Yates wrote, performed, and produced the other songs. Several have a Latin flair that call to mind Sting and Michael Bublé, and are beautifully arranged. Yates' guitar work is especially good, with songs such as "Shifting Sands" showcasing a chill, yearning solo. My favorite song is "Curse the Moon," a poetic metaphor for love in denial: "You can drink your wine/'Til the sky turns red/You can plan your schemes from your bed/I'll be alright without you/I'll be just fine on my own." Another standout is "So Into You," written by and performed with Jeavons, which has so much sexy electricity that it's perfect for a romantic evening. Jeavons' voice provides a luscious counterpoint to Yates' husky vocals; watch for their upcoming single, "Knock Down My Door"! Buy "A Piece of Me" on iTunes at http://bit.ly/1jfFwhw Visit Jason Mark Yates' website at www.jasonmarkyates.com Reverbnation site: www.reverbnation.com/jasonmarkyates