|
|
| |
|
|
CHARIOT
(J Records)
|
|
|
|
|
|
It must be tough trying to stand out amid the glut of sensitive-male rockers dominating pop radio. Gavin DeGraw has the voice to set him apart from the John Mayers and Jason Mrazes of the world, but his songwriting just doesn’t measure up. Too often Chariot meanders into assembly-line choruses and bland production. Almost every song follows the same ballad formula, each dutifully utilizing the quiet/loud/quiet template popularized by sensitive rocker Elton John and like-minded keyboard crooners. Neither do the melodies make up for the predictable dynamics. There are flashes of tuneful promise on the opening "Follow Through" and on "Crush," but otherwise the songs blend into one another, mining the same mid-tempo piano-based format. And DeGraw’s earnest lyrics could have been pilfered from a Hallmark Card. Only his elastic voice keeps the album from falling into a sentimental sinkhole: he has a range and a power that echo the falsetto flights of Jeff Buckley and Martin Sexton, minus the former’s pathos and the latter’s versatility. (Gavin DeGraw performs tonight, October 30, at the Paradise; call 617-931-2000.)
|
