First Impressions of Elliott Yamin's CD -- I Love It!

If you've stopped by "Idol Thoughts" in the past week or so you've probably picked up on the fact that I'm a fan of Elliott Yamin. Ok, who are we kidding, I love the guy. I fell hard for him on American Idol, and MP3s of his performances of the show have been in constant rotation on my ipod since last year.

So when Taylor, Katharine, Chris, Paris, even Kellie signed record contracts, I waited for word on Elliott. And waited. And waited.

Well, let me tell you, all that waiting has paid off. This CD (released TODAY!) is fan-freakin'-tastic.

"Elliott Yamin" might well be the CD that Donny Hathaway would make if he was still alive and making music. Music that is both beautiful and layered, and that is meant for a rich, textured voice to sing. The songs are interesting musically, have instantly memorable melodies, and show off Elliott's voice to fantastic effect.

And that may be what I like about the CD the most --- it sounds like Elliott. No voice manipulation. No over-production. Just Elliott's rich, soulful voice. That voice that can effortlessly scale impossible runs, and that can convey passion you can truly believe.

Can you tell that I liked it?

Now, as I've already admitted, I'm Elliott-biased. But let me say this -- if you liked Elliott on American Idol, even a little bit, you will love this CD. So don't hesitate, buy it.

It doesn't end there, though. I truly believe this music has the potential to really catch on to an audience outside of those preordained Elliott fans. Bottom line, it's good. I think it has a real shot at Urban AC radio (in addition to pop) -- if Robin Thicke can top the Urban chart as a white boy, why not Elliott, who's got his own brand of blue-eyed soul? As far as I'm concerned, songs like "Wait for You," "Movin' On," "Take My Breath Away" definitely have crossover potential.

So basically, if you're wavering or you're not sure if you're an Elliott fan, it's worth the $12 risk. Buy it.

I've only listened to the CD once through, and I plan on doing a track-by-track review once I've had some more time to really dig into the music, but for now I'd have to say I'm really digging the gorgeous "Take My Breath Away" (where we get to hear a little taste of some of Elliott's smoky falsetto), the funky"Find a Way," the upbeat "Free," and the sexy, dripping-with-soul "Trainwreck."

But the song that really did it for me is "A Song For You." Of course I heard Elliott sing the song on the show, but nothing could compare to this stunning, stirring version -- just Elliott's voice and a piano. It is truly breathtaking, and worth the price of the album alone.

Stay tuned for my track-by-track review...

And if you haven't done so yet, support the boy, BUY ELLIOTT'S CD!!