CCMusic.com

When it comes to songwriting, less is more and simplicity is strength. Just ask Paul Thorn, who's spent three decades turning soulful grooves and small syllables into songs that pack a big wallop. Maybe he learned the power of minimalism from his years as a pro boxer, maybe it just comes naturally. But whether he's targeting heads, hearts, hips or the occasional funny bone, he somehow manages to condense large nuggets of wisdom into tight little mantras, the kind embroiderers stitched onto pillows before internet memes existed. Thorn's new album, "Life Is Just a Vapor, contains some beauties. "Life is a vapor, let's live it while we can"; "tough times don't last, but tough people do" (from "Tough Times Don't Last"); "any mountain up ahead is just a hill" (from "Old Melodies"). They're words of advice, comfort, support, encouragement, often meant to uplift, especially in times of struggle. "I like for people to be touched by music and get something from it, something that they can take with them throughout the day," Thorn says. "Every song on this album, there's a message in it of some sort about how to live life." American Blues Scene writer Don Wilcock calls Thorn "an everyman (who) addresses things we all think about, but few can articulate with the kind of candor, humor and folksy truth that immediately endear him to almost everyone lucky enough to hear his music."