//Neon Reviews: Gavin DeGraw – Free//

Gavin DeGraw is a believer in the saying that less is more — well, at least now he is. That’s the approach he’s taken to his stripped down third studio album entitled Free which comes not even a full year after the release of his decidedly more rock-oriented self-titled sophomore album.

Perhaps quietly admitting to the mistake he made in changing his sound a bit on the last record — most fans loved it and the first single, the guitar-blaring In Love With A Girl, was a hit, but the album as a whole wasn’t as critically acclaimed as his 2003 debut, Chariot – DeGraw created Free in a span of only two weeks in a New York studio with only one goal in mind: cut through the bull and let the music do the talking.

The short, nine-song set will take an adjustment for casual listeners expecting anything resembling the aforementioned In Love or the singer’s breakout hit, I Don’t Want To Be, but fans of his impeccable songwriting talents and sinfully soulful voice will find Free immensely enjoyable because the minimal production of the songs allow those qualities to take center stage.

Songs like Glass, in which Gavin takes turns being the narrator and both parties in a shattered relationship, and the piano ballad Dancing Shoes lack catchy pop hooks but get etched in your mind because their perfect combination of simplistic melody, clever wordplay, and superb vocal performance. Both songs were written over a decade ago when DeGraw was still in his teens and revamped slightly for the album.

Easily one of the best offerings on the set is the sonically misty Waterfall. Its chorus is a bit repetitive, but the soulful instrumentals and the yearning strokes of DeGraw’s voice immediately causes you to forgive any minor shortcoming.

The smokey Indian Summer, a cover of the Chris Whitley cult classic, offers a chance to see another side of DeGraw — he doesn’t need to be the writer to shine.

The title track explores the complex dualities of all that Gavin is: “A feather and a stone/I feel crowded and alone…and I want to be free.” Is it possible the song is about how he feels about his place in the music industry? He can make amazing pop songs, but he’s also an extremely talented musician who sometimes needs to break free from the poppy bells and whistles and let the music speak for itself. Well, mission accomplished. And when the music on Free speaks, you’ll want to listen…over and over again.

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