Gavin DeGraw
Chariot

THE REVIEW

"Oh, this is the start of something good..." - these are the first words of "Follow Through", the opening track of the debut album by the young American singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw.

And indeed, "Chariot", as the album is titled, seems to be a truly excellent start for the career of this artist who is a newcomer only to official discographies, but in fact, has a long career behind him spent in New York City piano bars, supported by significant studies at the prestigious "Berklee School of Music."

A typical American pop-rock sound, with a sly nod to some acoustic brit nuances, and poetic, contemporary lyrics make "Chariot" a really complete album.

The simplicity of the melodies, never trivial, easily captures the ear, not becoming tiresome after several listens and, on the contrary, allowing the listener to gradually discover the various tracks, very different from each other, yet perfectly nested in a compact album that really doesn't seem to have any flaws or weak points, even without extreme pretensions. In addition to the already mentioned ballad "Follow Through", one of the most beautiful pieces of the entire musical season, there are several tracks capable of remaining suspended between melancholy and strength, between the soft tones of a delicate piano and the scratch of a guitar that remains very youthful and well-studied nonetheless. In this regard, "Belief" stands out, perhaps the main gem of the album, a track with very romantic atmospheres, yet approached with ascending grit, characteristic of the American branded pop-rock. An excellent manifesto of the genre of which DeGraw is a flag-bearer can clearly be considered "I Don't Want to Be", a strong and concise song, both in tone and text, also highly awarded, thanks to a happy pairing with a successful TV series in the States.

It is impossible not to mention the beautiful title track "Chariot", a true worldwide hit, where Gavin unveils his undoubted vocal qualities, supported by a mind-blowing chorus and a driving piano that seasons the whole piece. Speaking of the artist's vocal qualities, it is certainly worth highlighting "More Than Anyone", a standout voice on an otherwise quite rhythmic album, but undoubtedly a track capable of extending and indeed highlighting DeGraw's vocal prowess. It would be worth noting every track for different reasons: "Crush" for an intro of absolute strength, for example, or "Meaning" for a bass-guitar loop that on its own is already a melodic structure.

Lyrically, as mentioned, a simple yet potent poetic vein tackles always current themes. Dominant themes that seem frivolous on the surface, like love and friendship, are explored, sometimes directly, sometimes metaphorically, but always with great elegance and especially with the positivity of a sun ("Chariot" literally means chariot, but the reference to the sun is evident!), which gently illuminates this enchanting album.