As the acoustic darling of Toledo, Ohio, Nick Motil has gained fan after fan through dynamic live shows and grassroots networking far beyond his Midwestern home. His debut CD "My Life" has found its way from the western coasts of California to Europe on the wings of its standout songwriting and heartfelt performance, no small tribute to a 21-year-old without the help or experience a record label gives an artist. And after sharing the stage with both breaking artists, such as Jason Mraz, and the more established underground artists, such as The Verve Pipe and Chantal Kreviazuk, Motil is beginning to impress both star and star-struck audiences with a charismatic style.

Easily the standout attraction to "My Life" is Motil's strong songwriting sensibility. As the title suggests, he pulls experiences from life to build a CD that is honest and enticing.

"Using my own life's experiences and inspirations from others around me, I have been able to reach many with the songs on this album. And have found myself rather excited and shocked by that," says Motil on his website, www.nickmotil.com.

The power of relating to his fans is one Motil has in spades. Throughout the half hour disc, he reaches the listener through simplicity. In his first single, "Wishes (for Emily)," he deals with the relentless waiting for love to be returned. "So hold your heartbeat so close to mine/ And when you do it's my wish you'd find/ That though your heart beats fine without me/ I'm wishing someday, it'd beat for me, it'd beat for me." "Breathe" expresses the frustration of running away from a problem, only to find that problems can't be escaped by distance. "Well, I'm cruising home, I'm flying up about 65 (mph)/ And all I thought I'd run from comes rushing to my mind/ You thought that I would never leave your side/ Late last night, boy, I quickly changed your mind."

Utilizing the jazz musicianship of electric guitarists Calvin Moore and producer Gregg Leonard, he drives each song with his acoustic rhythm, while simultaneously giving the electric enough room to breathe. Drums and bass round out the band, but do so unobtrusively, adding subtle depth without overriding the melody. The result are songs with a slightly bluesy feel, though obviously rooted in the folk-rock acoustic singer-songwriters are known for.

As with most burgeoning artists though, Motil leans a little too heavily on his influences at times. A little Dave Matthews slips into this CD, especially in the vocal track. Instead of using his voice as well as he could, he opts for a breathier, at times nasal, sound which doesn't do his voice justice. Because of this, vocal harmonies don't quite meet up as they should and end up sounding slightly coarse.

Overall, "My Life" shows the promise of a new artist coming into his own. Though there are still rough spots, the CD is built on solid writing that will allow for a few mistakes. In time, the rough spots will be smoothed out and what is left will surely be something to watch out for.