Grahm Colton's Debut Balanced and Professional

Up and coming singer songwriter Graham Colton hit a home run with this year’s release of his debut, self-titled album Graham Colton.  Laced with exquisite lyrics, smooth melodies, and outstand vocals, the album flows through each of its nine tracks quite well, each as satisfying as the last.  Colton, 20, stays true to his acoustic roots in a seemingly effortless transition to a full band sound.  Turtle and Drew Nichols provide added energy and diversity with their clever guitar licks and crisp vocals.  Ryan Tallent and Jordan Elder round out he band’s starting lineup with their skills at bass/keys and drums, respectively.  Production quality for the album is impressively high with musician extraordinaire/ producer Cary Pierce heading up the organizational effort.

The album starts off with a wise choice of opener: the popular “Jessica”.  The song sets the tone for the rest of the album, showing off Colton’s extraordinary talents as a singer and a song writer in a big way.  The others members of the band quickly establish themselves as excellent compliments to Colton’s sound, and talented musicians as well.  The album then soars into “Save Me” and proves Graham Colton is not a one hit wonder with its sharp bass lines and catchy lyrics. 

Next comes “Best Thing”, a shiny new version of Graham’s solo acoustic tune “Cellaphane Girl”.  The quality of this touching song about a love nearly lost cannot be overstressed.  The album changes paces and shows off the bands versatility as “Best Thing” finishes quietly into the progressively up beat “Summer Stars”.  Creative guitar riffs and excellently balanced full band sound characterize this track.  Coming in at track #5, “Killing Me” continues to build the album’s momentum with its smooth pace and lulling vocals.

 “Accident of Youth” and “Waiting” follow “Killing Me”, adding to the album’s character and depth.  These songs boast more great songwriting and catchy bass lines.  The final two tracks put the finishing trim on an already impressive album, softly but powerfully in fully acoustic mode.  “This Time” is purely solo, and purely amazing with a flavorful and characteristic Graham Colton sound.  Closing out the album, “Waking up” comes in as possibly the best song on the album.  The song’s melody and smooth acoustic flow characterizes what Graham Colton is all about; amazing songwriting and catching acoustic rhythms compliment each other perfectly, making “Waking Up” an epic and moving piece.

Graham Colton has come a long way at his young age to put together such a balanced and professional album.  The talent is unmistakable, the quality is undeniable, and the potential unquestionable.  Only time will tell how far Graham Colton will go, but one thing is for sure: his debut album has set him off to an excellent start.