Relying on his writing ability and soft breathy voice, 20-year-old singer/songwriter Adam Stewart uses his introspective lyrics to reach listeners. Stewart's CD "You Were Mine" is composed of 14 stripped down acoustic tracks full of honesty and poetry.

Stewart, a resident of Austin, TX, writes with grace, using personal experiences and heartbreaks to deliver emotional track after track. Although his voice may sound a bit quiet at times, his words and the passion behind them make up for it. Stewart's words are not just songs; they are poetry set to music. Each song on this concept album of lost love reads like a saddened poem or thoughtful diary entry.

On Stewart's web site he says, "When I write, there's no part of me that I hide." This becomes obvious to a listener as Stewart sings about letting go ("Today is Real"), and opening up again ("All I Wanna Do") amongst tales of his regrets, hopes and fantastic memories.

On the track "Always Hoped That it Was You," Stewart sings, "Always thought you'd be my forever/Now it's over, broken now it's never/Imagined growing old with you beside me/Now that's just a foolish fantasy/Somewhere there's someone who's honest and true/Perfect sweet, through and through."

Nearly every song unfolds like a story about a relationship that has come to past. On the "Goodbye Song" he sings of a painful end to a relationship. The sad chorus goes "Now your smiles won't brighten up my days/Now your love won't linger on my face/Now your laughing eyes won't laugh anymore/Now we've said all time will let us say/Now we say goodbye till the last teary eyed day."

"I feel that despite there being sad songs, I'm hopeful in a way," said Stewart. "I don't see things with anger or bitterness."

If a listener has ever been in a relationship that ended when they didn't want it to, they'll be able to identify with Stewart's words on almost every song. Stewart's passionate lyrics have a way of reaching a listener and striking a chord with them. The sorrow and pain which can be heard within his voice make it all the more believable.

Stewart doesn't just write about relationships though. "Catch Twenty-Two" is a track about "the complication that comes with liking someone and not knowing how they feel about you," says Stewart. "You want to tell them, but if you do, then A: if they like you it takes a lot of the mystery and fun out of it, or B: if they don't like you then you feel awkward for saying anything. But you want to know, so it's a catch twenty-two -- every way you lose."

Also, "Like I See Heaven" isn't about a girl at all. It's about "living every day for God," said Stewart. "That song is about faith, being grateful for what you have and living each moment like it could be your last."

Stewart's acoustic guitar, a Taylor 414, accompanies his mellow tunes. Whether it is slow-strummed or a driving beat, a listener will be able to hear the talent in Stewart's playing. The lyrical melodies are touching and sweet and the dramatic hooks are harmonious.

Stewart's earnest writing and musical ability along with his professionalism will take him far. For more information on Adam Stewart, to download MP3's off "You Were Mine," view lyrics, photos or read his journal, visit www.adammstewart.com.