Gavin DeGraw

The long-awaited follow-up to Gavin DeGraw's debut album Chariot furthers his foray into modern blue eyed soul. "In Love With A Girl" opens the album with grungy guitar riffs and flowing melodies before "Next To Me (Wait A Minute Sister)" bounces in with a smooth stride, sounding a little like a cross between Jason Mraz and Rob Thomas. The sing-along melodies and emotionally charged lyrics of infidelity in "Cheated On Me" makes for an obvious choice in a radio single. "Young Love" is a standout ballad with a sparseness that allows you to really hear the deep, rich tone in DeGraw's vocal timbre, and "Let It Go" is a similarly sentimental ballad where his smooth voice wraps around textured guitar distortion making for an effective sonic contrast. If you're looking for an instant party jam, "Medicate The Kids" should do the job with its head-bobbing verses and skyrocketing choruses where layered vocals build a wall of singing that sounds so good it's hard to remember that this song is railing against the pharmaceutical climate. The romantic and anthemic "We Belong Together" is a great way to book end this worthy return for DeGraw.