Brett Dennen expands his sound on ‘Loverboy’

October 23, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

Singer-songwriter Brett Dennen feels free these days.

Not only is he back with an incessant tour schedule — the folk-inspired artist returns to the area with a Tuesday show at Mr. Smalls in Pittsburgh and a Wednesday show at the House of Blues in Cleveland — but this time he’s armed with his fourth studio effort, “Loverboy.”

“This record is like a new beginning,” said Dennen, calling from Covington, Ky. “I felt like on all of my other records I said all I needed to say and I proved all I needed to prove as a songwriter and a musician. ‘Loverboy’ presented itself as an opportunity to make a new start, and because of that it was extremely liberating. I got to let go of maybe some of the expectations I held myself up to in previous records.”

Gone was the quintessential singer-songwriter fare of acoustic and ballad material. In its place Dennen explored his influences and discovered new ground while still delivering personal material. He points to the horn-laden “Make You Fall in Love” as defining the album’s spirit. Other standouts include the reggae-driven “Can’t Stop Thinking” and the string-based “Frozen in Slow Motion.”

You kind of get the feeling that Dennen — who looks like a high school-age, part-time Game Stop employee — is shedding his skin on “Loverboy,” which marks quite the evolution from his 2004 self-titled debut and the 2006 follow-up “So Much More.” It was the latter album that actually jumpstarted Dennen’s career when John Mayer took notice. The “Your Body is a Wonderland” singer pegged Dennen as his opener for two years, which gave the then up-and-coming artist all the exposure he needed.

Not only did Dennen’s 2008 album “Hope for the Hopeless” debut at No. 41 on the Billboard Top 200 but it opened the door for opening gigs with Dave Matthews, Rodrigo y Gabriela and The John Butler Trio, as well as appearances at Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, Coachella, Outside Lands and Newport Folk Festival. His tunes were also featured on television shows “Scrubs,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Parenthood,” “Brothers & Sisters” and “House.”

Despite his success as a folk artist, the 31-year-old questions whether that tag is accurate from his peers. Specifically, he feels “Loverboy” confirms his independence.

“The real conscious thing that came with the new album is I didn’t want to be like the guy with an acoustic guitar on stage singing to an audience full of people sitting down,” Dennen said. “I’d rather be the guy on stage with an acoustic or electric guitar dancing around and having everybody else in the crowd stand-up and dance and sing along with me. You just can’t get that as much in folk music.”

Something that may have been lost in the folk scene but not to mainstream music fans is the notion of calling an album “Loverboy.” Some people may have wondered whether Dennen had recorded a tribute album to the ’80s rock act fronted by the bandana-wearing Mike Reno.

“Obviously I’m aware of the band, aware of their hits, but I don’t mean ‘womanizer,’” Dennen said. “I just mean someone who wants to put a message of love out in the world.”

So just to confirm, Dennen isn’t “Working for the Weekend?”

“I’m working for the week,” Dennen said. “It’s 24-7.”