Peter Brown's new CD "Chasing Fireflies" may never go platinum in the commercially driven world of music, but those in search of finely crafted songs presented simply and sung with passion will find true gold here. The confident craft of his songs suggest a writer of maturity far beyond his first release. Brown has a flair for finding just the right turn of a phrase, and a subtle way of crafting melodies that stay with you all day, while wisely steering clear of the traps of sensitive new-agey-ness or pop-oriented hooks. The two strongest of the batch, "Danielle" and "Apple Pancake" will touch the hearts of new or expecting parents. Brown's honey-laced tenor wistfully plumbs the depths of faded love without judgment or sentiment on the ballad "Lemonade," while "Free World," the CD's up-tempo opener, explores both sides of the clash between logger and environmentalist. A strong first effort by an artist with a lot of heart, a lot to say and the courage to say it, his songs prove that the greatest strength is vulnerability.