17-11-2010, 12:54
love this guys voice, but the songs don't work
Grade - 1.5
released Nov 16th, 2010
![[Image: o89149wd2wn.jpg]](http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dro800/o891/o89149wd2wn.jpg)
from the album - Sweet Serendipity - grade 1.5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcEG72N5No8
from all music
Bio
Before winning the ninth season of American Idol, Lee DeWyze released two independent albums that introduced his mix of husky vocals and acoustic singer/songwriter fare. Working under the tutelage of Ministry guitarist Louis Svitek, who doubled as his producer and mentor, DeWyze made his solo debut with the release of 2007's So I'm Told. Slumberland followed several years later. Meanwhile, he worked in a paint store to make ends meet.
DeWyzeâs career received a big boost in 2010, when he began competing in American Idol at the age of 23. In a competition filled with guitar-playing vocalists, DeWyze managed to stand out from the pack with his smart song choices, eventually beating second-place rival Crystal Bowersox and taking home the Idol crown on May 26, 2010. His debut single, a cover of U2's "Beautiful Day," was released in conjunction with his win, and a full-length album arrived later that year.
Album Review
Winner of the ninth season of American Idol, the season that will forever be remembered as Simon Cowellâs last, Lee DeWyze somehow eked out a victory against neo-hippie soulster Crystal Bowersox, charming with a smarmy shyness that never quite seemed to jibe with a guy who kicked around bars in the suburbs for the better part of a decade. Other Idol winners were journeymen in disguise -- think cornball Taylor Hicks or well-coifed rocker David Cook -- but DeWyzeâs major-label debut, Live It Up, sounds like the work of a local band that was given a chance to run wild in a professional studio. 19 Recordings team their winner with an army of professionals led by Toby Gad and John Shanks but they donât dictate the direction of the album; they shape DeWyzeâs singsong strum-alongs and MOR pop into something resembling a triple-A chart hit, letting similarities to Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, and John Mayer stand strong. DeWyze can wrangle a pleasant melody, particularly when heâs favoring sunswept SoCal folk-pop, but he canât resist sabotaging his slight charms with a studied hamminess, adopting a gravelly growl whenever he wants to appear soulful and leaning so hard in his phrasing that he stumbles instead of shuffles. Ironically, these affectations are best heard on the least-produced moments on Live It Up; sure, theyâre more apparent when the arrangements are simple, but the shellacked attempts at glassy modern pop dampen whatever personality DeWyze may have. When things are light and simple on Live It Up, DeWyze seems like himself: a threadbare talent who floated in on the vapors of Idolâs empty tank.
Track Listing
1 Live It Up DeWyze, Gad, Robbins 3:16
2 Sweet Serendipity DeWyze, Glass, Lawhead 3:18
3 It's Gotta Be Love Bjorklund, DeWyze, Kelly, Lind 3:36
4 Dear Isabelle DeWyze, Gad, Robbins 2:48
5 Beautiful Like You Salter, Stochansky 4:53
6 Stay Here Bjorklund, DeWyze, Kelly, Lind 3:42
7 Me and My Jealousy DeWyze, Maloy, Shanks 3:34
8 Brooklyn Bridge DeWyze, Gad, Robbins 3:45
9 Weightless DeWyze, Maloy, Shanks 3:10
10 Earth Stood Still DeWyze, Gad, Robbins 3:18
11 A Song About Love Busbee, DeWyze, Hodges 2:50
Grade - 1.5
released Nov 16th, 2010
from the album - Sweet Serendipity - grade 1.5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcEG72N5No8
from all music
Bio
Before winning the ninth season of American Idol, Lee DeWyze released two independent albums that introduced his mix of husky vocals and acoustic singer/songwriter fare. Working under the tutelage of Ministry guitarist Louis Svitek, who doubled as his producer and mentor, DeWyze made his solo debut with the release of 2007's So I'm Told. Slumberland followed several years later. Meanwhile, he worked in a paint store to make ends meet.
DeWyzeâs career received a big boost in 2010, when he began competing in American Idol at the age of 23. In a competition filled with guitar-playing vocalists, DeWyze managed to stand out from the pack with his smart song choices, eventually beating second-place rival Crystal Bowersox and taking home the Idol crown on May 26, 2010. His debut single, a cover of U2's "Beautiful Day," was released in conjunction with his win, and a full-length album arrived later that year.
Album Review
Winner of the ninth season of American Idol, the season that will forever be remembered as Simon Cowellâs last, Lee DeWyze somehow eked out a victory against neo-hippie soulster Crystal Bowersox, charming with a smarmy shyness that never quite seemed to jibe with a guy who kicked around bars in the suburbs for the better part of a decade. Other Idol winners were journeymen in disguise -- think cornball Taylor Hicks or well-coifed rocker David Cook -- but DeWyzeâs major-label debut, Live It Up, sounds like the work of a local band that was given a chance to run wild in a professional studio. 19 Recordings team their winner with an army of professionals led by Toby Gad and John Shanks but they donât dictate the direction of the album; they shape DeWyzeâs singsong strum-alongs and MOR pop into something resembling a triple-A chart hit, letting similarities to Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, and John Mayer stand strong. DeWyze can wrangle a pleasant melody, particularly when heâs favoring sunswept SoCal folk-pop, but he canât resist sabotaging his slight charms with a studied hamminess, adopting a gravelly growl whenever he wants to appear soulful and leaning so hard in his phrasing that he stumbles instead of shuffles. Ironically, these affectations are best heard on the least-produced moments on Live It Up; sure, theyâre more apparent when the arrangements are simple, but the shellacked attempts at glassy modern pop dampen whatever personality DeWyze may have. When things are light and simple on Live It Up, DeWyze seems like himself: a threadbare talent who floated in on the vapors of Idolâs empty tank.
Track Listing
1 Live It Up DeWyze, Gad, Robbins 3:16
2 Sweet Serendipity DeWyze, Glass, Lawhead 3:18
3 It's Gotta Be Love Bjorklund, DeWyze, Kelly, Lind 3:36
4 Dear Isabelle DeWyze, Gad, Robbins 2:48
5 Beautiful Like You Salter, Stochansky 4:53
6 Stay Here Bjorklund, DeWyze, Kelly, Lind 3:42
7 Me and My Jealousy DeWyze, Maloy, Shanks 3:34
8 Brooklyn Bridge DeWyze, Gad, Robbins 3:45
9 Weightless DeWyze, Maloy, Shanks 3:10
10 Earth Stood Still DeWyze, Gad, Robbins 3:18
11 A Song About Love Busbee, DeWyze, Hodges 2:50