Chariot Gavin DeGraw Audio CD NEW

"Oh, this is the start of something good/ Don't you agree?" So go the opening lines from Gavin DeGraw's debut album, Chariot. And the answer to the question is an unequivocal "yes!" DeGraw, a discovery of record biz legend, Clive Davis and the "next big thing" out of Davis' J Records, is far and away one of the most exciting singer/songwriters to come along in years. Claiming Billy Joel as his inspiration, DeGraw is, nevertheless, very much his own songsmith: an entirely precocious talent pounding out poignant piano ballads like he's been doing it for decades. But actually we're talking about a 26-year-old here. A very mature 26-year-old. A refreshingly poetic songwriter, mature and humble to a fault. ("I just view myself as 'everyman' and I just happen to write songs," he said in a recent interview.")

Contrary to his declarations, DeGraw is in no way average, and this 11-song set proves it. The magnetic, restless melodies: The simultaneously acute and subtle insights, the feeling he conveys as he sings each number. These are the hallmarks of a top-drawer songwriter/performer.

A song like "Belief," at once regal and chagrin-drenched, poetic and impassioned, is a balladeer's ballad. Alternately delicate and forceful, it typifies DeGraw's innate musical instincts; his "writing from the heart." He is seemingly never satisfied with conventional song structures or predictable progressions. He uses breaks and bridges to move the tectonic plates of his creations into ever-surprising places. Not content with verse-bridge-chorus structures, he seems to set off on an emotional journey each time he writes and sees where the keyboard takes him.

The title track is a perfect example. Beginning as a jangly piano-bar number, it assumes a jazz feel while DeGraw wedges together seemingly incongruous vocal melodies without making it seemed forced. In fact, the overall structure finishes up being just right (the bridges are superb) and gels like the most natural chemical compound.

Emotion plays a huge part in this album. "Just Friends" is a beautiful, Billy Joel-esque love ballad that employs power chords and avoids lyrical clich￩s (another of DeGraw's great strengths). "Crush" combines rock-based verses with a lush chorus, while "More Than Anyone" is the most tender ballad on the disc, bringing in strings to heighten its passion quotient and lend a quiet storm feel to the number.

There are a couple of fine rockers in the set too. "Chemical Party" -- you can guess what this one's about! -- allows the guitars to take over and lay on the beef. "I Don't Wanna Be" starts out as a guitar-riff rocker then folds into a strong melodic chorus. It has a real '70s feel to it.

Meanwhile, the opening cut, "Follow Through," is the best example of DeGraw's sophisto-pop instincts. Hook laden, a little rocky, immediately memorable, it encapsulates much of what the artist is about. Just an outstanding song.

For all its nuances and artistic refinements, Chariot is still a highly accessible album, and with it Gavin DeGraw has rolled out the red carpet for his music career.

By Adrian Zupp