This album caught me by surprise I'll tell you right off the bat it's a strong contender for album of the year. From the first song he shows you how to make a chorus carry the most emotional impact possible.Who said pop music has to be a bad thing? More common with the 80s he sings in an urgent baritone, think Corey Hart but with a larger dose of soul injected in the phrashing. "When the Lights Turn Out" you can hear echoes of both Seal and Peter Gabriel. The 80s are back in a big blatant way on "To the Top" which might find you checking the album jacket of your copy of "Dirty Dancing" or Top Gun" to see if this song is there. He doesn't coat the songs in same level of cheese , this feels really naturual, but I grew up in the 80s so some of this just takes me back there and maybe I am not as objective as I think I am being hear, but these songs are pristine from any angle you listen to them from. The harmonies are recorded as well as anything you could find on a Peter Gabriel album.
The duet "Alone" touches on some common r&b element, it's darker from a more emotionally desperate place. The title track has a Police like tension to the guitar. His vocal is impeccable on this song.This song makes the hair stand up on my arms it's so good, and you know how tough I am on artists around here. "Turn Me Up" is making it on the mix I'm doing for my wedding on Halloween for the line "you got me needing you/ like it's some religion", if for nothing else. Maybe I'll try to Twin Shadow to play my wedding if I can sell my fiance on him.
The breathy narrative to "I'm Ready" offsets the slightly more upbeat background. By the time you get to the chorus it's pretty celebratory. A little happier of song than I normally listen to but the execution is dead on. If "Old Love / New Love" isn't playing at your cities' gay pride parade this year there is a problem. It has all the element of gay house you could want. It's also the first song where I can hear some Prince influence. If you don't find yourself dancing at any point in this album you a boring old white guy with no soul, go back to listening to AC/DC.
He even finds some Brit Pop New Wave in him on "Half Life" which is one of the tracks fighting for my affection enough to be called my favorite song on this album. Every song is good, "I'm Ready" is the only song that has to still grow on me. He is not afraid to experiment with odd sounds and effects on his voice" Watch Me go" being one of these places. Of this album gets a 10, it's a crime if you don't check it out.
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