Chris Richardson wishes he was 1/10 as good as Elliot Yamin.
Written: Mar 21 '07 (Updated Mar 22 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Very strong vocals. Top notch production team.
Cons: Some MOR R&B tracks are here.
The Bottom Line: Elliott Yamin has delivered a solid debut album which has plenty to like on it.
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| MattBjorke's Full Review: Elliott Yamin by Elliott Yamin |
American Idol seemingly hit it's 'peak' during the 2005 fifth cycle (or season) of the show. The top 24 was pretty strong while the top 12 was even better. So good was the group that the Top 8 all received some kind of record deal, most with major recording companies or ties to them. For Elliott Yamin, the second runner-up, the path to releasing his debut album follows the 'indie' route via his song publishing company Sony/ATV and RED Distribution. The new label from the partnership is called "Hickory Records." Elliott was the master singer on the season. Proclaiming a love for Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway, Elliott simply out sang all of the other guys on the show, which isn't bad for a guy who's 95% deaf in his right ear (and also a type 1 diabetic).
Elliott also sorta went from 'geek' (in the cute guy next door way) to 'chic' with a little cosmetic dentistry. After 50k dollars worth of veneers, Elliott's big, crooked teeth were replaced with a mouth-full of pearly white teeth giving Elliot's winning smile even more to like. Aside from that, Elliott's grown a nice stubbly beard and curly hair that gives off a mature, handsome vibe on the album cover. Aside from his looks, his self-titled debut album features a nice array of contemporary R&B tunes, many of which were co-written by Mr. Yamin himself.
Leading off the record is the 'teaser track' which Elliott released to iTunes and other sites (including his myspace page). "Movin' On" has a bangin' club vibe to it. Elliott really channels Stevie as he makes some 'runs' with the verses and shows off his amazing pipes. The melody really suits modern radio quite well and I'm sure radio will pick up this one later on down the road. The true first single is "Wait For You." It has a distinct Ne-Yo vibe to it. That vibe is even more evident once one learns that Stargate, a production team, also produced many of Ne-Yo's hits. This is a smooth, perfect for spring ballad that should receive good airplay on both R&B and Top 40 stations. It's theme is the direct opposite of "Movin' On."
Up next is the silky-smooth ballad "Find A Way." The winning melody backs up some interesting lyrics about carving our own path in life. There is a vibe that recalls Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On." Stargate's name again appears on the record with "One Word." While this one's still a bit generic, Elliott's strong pipes keep the song from reaching treacle status.
"I'm The Man" is the slightly off-kilter type of tune that often defined Elliott's AI song choices. Just glancing at the title one would assume it's a song of bravado but in reality it's an interesting and just plain good modern ballad about being the right guy for the woman of his dreams. Produced by executive producer Josh Abraham, the song has a distinct radio quality to it. Despite the strong "Usher" vibe of "Alright" Elliot acquits himself quite nicely with it, even if Elliott sounds better on 'club bangers' like "Movin' On" than here. "A Song For You" ends the record on a very strong note as Elliott sings to someone about how they helped them through a tough spot, even when he didn't believe in himself. Elliot sings with a solo piano backing him and he saved his best vocal performance for the end of the record.
While other Top 5 AI contestants have huge contract obligations to AI's producers, Elliott owns (with Sony/ATV publishing) the rights to this record which means that he'll be making more money selling 100,000 copies of "Elliott Yamin" than Taylor, Kellie or Daughtry will with their platinum certified albums. That, along with well-crafted songs and a 'sellable' image (added to his humble personality) and Elliott may very well end up with a long, popular career. America meet one of your new American Idols.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
MattBjorke
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Location: Music City, TN, USA
Reviews written: 483
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I'm still here and I'm still a fan of good pop and country music.
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