The Sean Coleman Project, "Apropos of Nothing" Review

The Sean Coleman Project, “Apropos of Nothing” Review

October 23, 2026
10:30 am

Sean Coleman is a guitarist and songwriter from the Boston area who has a long history in music, mostly through the band The Bleeding Hearts. Now, he’s stepping out on his own, so to speak, with The Sean Coleman Project. His debut record, Apropos of Nothing, is an 11-track jam session with musician friends that covers plenty of ground in terms of genre, as well as in messaging. True to its name, this album is a hodge-podge of songs that roll from country to big band, and covers topics ranging from love to heartbreak and faith to grief.

The musical element is the strongest of this collection. As mentioned above, the genres here mix and match quite a bit. The general bent is toward country/Americana, but you get blues (“You’ve Got to Choose”), big band swing (“Jumping at the Chance”), piano ballads (“The Mourning Dove”), and R&B (“I Can Only Be Me”) thrown in as well. There’s even a quiet, guitar-driven instrumental track (“A Glimpse of Heaven”). This variety certainly makes for an interesting listen, but the different sounds don’t always mix well. For instance, going from the laid back Americana of “Might Just Be My Day” into a big band number is a little jarring. These hiccups aside, each track, standing on its own, is expertly done. Having a veteran producer like Sean McLaughlin and a competent band of musicians and vocalists really helps this album sound great. They match the energy of each style of song and deliver an album that no one can deny the quality of.

Lyrically, that variety continues. Several tracks fall into classic heartbreak tunes (“You’ve Got to Choose,” “I Can Only Be Me,” “We’re Not Speaking Anymore”). However, “Jumping at the Chance” stands out as a rambunctious love song of desire. A couple tracks deal with grief or moving on from trauma (“The Mourning Dove,” “Who We’re Going to Be”), and a couple more fall more cleanly into the “faith” category (“Who I Am,” “Pray for Me”). Like the music, the words are composed competently enough and do well for what each lyric is trying to do. There are occasional standout moments or concepts, like saying that you’re not on speaking terms with your heart in “We’re Not Speaking Anymore,” or having a song about admitting you’re not strong enough to handle something on your own and need help on “Pray for Me.” Similar to the whiplash of the music, the jumping around to different topics, seemingly at random, hinders the album’s cohesion. This makes it more likely that listeners will gravitate toward certain songs and skip others depending on taste. Such is the gamble of an album with so much variety.

Apropos of Nothing is an homage to past styles and artists, all expertly done. Take any song, and you can likely think of a popular artist who could easily fit it into their catalogue. As a result, its identity is a little less distinct and blends into the genres it’s covering. That might be a strength in some eyes, and a weakness in others. It’s certainly not boring. The Sean Coleman Project’s debut effort hits all the notes it wants to hit and makes for a fun listen.

– Review date: 10/22/26, written by John Underdown of Jesusfreakhideout.com

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JFH Staff’s Second Opinion

With an impressive musical resume and 20+ years in the music industry, singer/songwriter Sean Coleman is embarking on a new journey with The Sean Coleman Project. Coleman has teamed up with a variety of singers and musicians for the project’s debut full-length record, Apropos of Nothing, an album that contains experienced songwriting and a variety of both themes and styles. The songs do cover a lot of ground, from God’s willingness to use us in our imperfection (“Who I Am”), to our need for growth and leaving the past behind (“Who We’re Going To Be”). While the journey across the lyrical spectrum is much appreciated, the wide array of genre choices makes the album a little difficult to follow. One could argue that the stylistic transitions from song to song aren’t necessarily jarring, but there’s an especially noticeable difference between the first half of the album and the second half, with a really pleasant instrumental piece right in the middle. Side A is the more upbeat, with an emphasis on country, southern rock, and blues rock (and one out-of-place swing number in “Jumping at the Chance”), while side B tones down considerably with smooth jazz, contemporary, and acoustic music. It leaves Apropos of Nothing feeling less like an album and more like two EPs by two different artists. Each song is enjoyable on its own merit, but as a listener who appreciates the format of a full-length album, it’s hard not to think that each track may be better enjoyed as part of different genre-focused playlists rather than as a front-to-back listen. As such, listeners who frequent playlists rather than albums may be more inclined to enjoy this one.

– Review date: 10/7/26, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com

Record Label: None

Album length: 11 tracks: 41 minutes, 34 seconds

Street Date: October 23, 2026

Buy It: Apple Music