The term "starving artist" will not be used when referring to PJ Loughran (pronounced Lo'ck-rin), the mastermind behind the debut album "Grenadine." He's an accomplished illustrator who does about 150 drawings a year, and has over 200 national and international clients on his list, including "GQ," "Esquire," "Forbes," "Sports Illustrated," and "The New York Times."

"Grenadine" is a 12-song record full of eclectic tunes, powerful vocals and a polished band. It offers a sweet mix of upbeat tracks ("Shoebox," "Madison") and slower strummed, emotion filled pleas ("Tea at Mogador," "Elizabeth, Please," and "Boston"). Not only can Loughran draw, he can sing! His voice is reminiscent of John Popper (Blues Traveler) with be-bops and scat vocals. Throw in a little of David Matthews' sound and a twinge of Irish flavor, and listeners should get a good idea of what to expect from this 29-year-old singer-songwriter.

Loughran describes the album's sounds as "all the different musical flavors I like -- from traditional songwriting to jazz to African to Irish Folk to whatever catches my attention."

What will definitely catch listeners' attention is Loughran's strong voice filled with passion as he sings with conviction. The foundation of drums and bass provide a path for Loughran's acoustic guitar along with a mélange of instruments ranging from everything from the djembe and udu to a little wooden fish and egg shaker. The cello on "Boston" and the Hammond organ on "Liam and Patrick" add lovely sounds to each track respectively. Loughran himself plays multiple instruments on the album, including the acoustic guitar, saxophone (he's been playing since he was 8) and synth.

The hard-driving opener "Shoebox" pumps out the catchy lyrics "Hey maybe you should delve/back to when you were 11 or 13 or 12/and wander through the shoebox/where your love letters lie." Loughran's lyrics spill out like words in a love letter. He doesn't use rhymes or overdone choruses. Rather, he lets his honest poetry be set to music.

"Every song is pretty personal," explained Loughran. "I tend to write when I'm trying to sort stuff out. I'm a bit 'heart-on-my-sleeve' probably to a fault at times. But, either way, it's all very honest."

On the melancholy track "Boston," Loughran's heartfelt voice swells with the words "You say that my lack of attendance/has finally unraveled you/And the orange October sun sets/as our rope runs awry."

"Grenadine" is an album a listener will grow attached to, as the weepy ballads and dynamic backdrops will capture the ear. The album title is derived from its 11th track.

"'Grenadine' is a song about paying respects to where I grew up, and celebrating the optimism I was instilled with being raised in a typical suburb like Long Island," said Loughran. "I used grenadine, that syrupy stuff our parents use to put in 7-Up when we were kids, to represent my youth and optimism (as opposed to wine or hard liquor, which is more aged, weathered, adult). As I get older, it's important for me to hold onto my idealism, and not completely surrender to the sometimes-harsh practicalities of life, or settle for something mundane because it might be safe or easy, as I think a lot of people do as they get older. I hope I always make more time for sipping the sweet stuff than settling for the hard stuff."