Hold On ‘Til the Night / Hold On 'Til the Night

Fourteen-year-old singer/pianist Grey Chance makes good on his breakthrough as a YouTube sensation by releasing a debut album of impressive substance. His vibrato-tinged vocals are particularly effective in their lower range; as an overall performer, he transcends tween-pop limitations without pretending to be a worldly-wise grownup. His self-composed “Waiting Outside the Lines” sets the album’s tone with its message of personal freedom. Tracks like “Unfriend You” and “Home Is In Your Eyes” deal with young love in fresh, believable terms. Especially fun is “Little London Girl,” a buoyant number with a shout-along chorus. Chance stretches out to deliver moodier tunes like the Europop-slanted “Summertrain” and the dramatic “Cheyenne” with confidence. The album’s production (by the Matrix, among other notables) is tasteful and polished. Chance’s youth may have helped gain him attention, but Hold On ‘Til the Night suggests he deserves to be heard on his strength of his talent alone.