Ryan Cabrera

RYAN CABRERA
"THE MOON UNDER WATER"
(Papa Joe, 2008)


"Sit Back, Relax"


Having discovered Ryan Cabrera almost a year before the vast majority of America did (I happened upon an advance promotional 3-track CD at a local store in the fall of 2003) and have met him in-person makes me feel a special fondness for him. Considering that, and the fact that I kind-of pride myself on my awareness of upcoming album releases, it's strange that this one almost slipped by me unnoticed. Of course, Ryan is on an independent label now, so he would naturally fly a bit further under the radar than he used to. Plus, there's the fact that his previous album, "You Stand Watching", was rather disappointing.

Consequently, when I downloaded this album's first single, "Say", from iTunes last month, I wasn't expecting much. But I ended up liking the song and being intrigued enough to pick up the CD, which turned out to be a pleasantly surprising breath of fresh air. Instead of another string of samey-sounding ballads and forgettable mid-tempo tracks, Ryan Cabrera has come back strongly, investing his three-year studio hiatus in writing a batch of songs with a sonic variety and depth that he never reached on either of his two major-label albums.

Energetic tracks like the opener "In Between Lights" and the excellent rocker "The Tango" keep the listener wanting more, and softer moments like the semi-electronic adventure "Rise (The Dog Barks)" and the waltzy "How 'Bout Tonight" make you a little less afraid of him slipping back into an all-ballad rut. Ryan has definitely matured with this album, and while it's different from (and possibly not as universally appealing as) "Take It All Away", I frankly haven't been this excited about him since then.