Elliott Yamin - Elliott Yamin
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Artist: Elliott YaminBrand: Hickory Records
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2007-03-20
Music Label: Hickory Records
Soundtracks:
- Movin On
- Wait For You
- Find a Way
- One Word
- You Are the One
- I'm the Man
- Trainwreck
- Free
- Alright
- Take My Breath Away
- A Song For You
Music reviews of Elliott Yamin
Music Review: A Talent DEFINITELY Worth Exploring; Strong Debut
Rating: 3 Stars
Elliott Yamin was personally one of my favorite contestants on American Idol Season 5; he was likeable and he was the other "soulful white guy" of the show. Unfortunately, I saw Elliott's demise coming just prior to the final round based upon the inevitable final between retro-soulster Taylor Hicks and pop-jazz diva Katherine McPhee. Honestly, neither was anymore deserving of the crown that Yamin, or surprise voted off Rocker Chris Daughtry. Despite losing the crown, a number of season six vocalists have/are releasing albums and Yamin becomes the next from the season to bring his R&B chops to album.
First single "Movin' On", also the first track on the album, proves to be a great opening number as well as an excellent choice for a single. Yamin sounds as soulful as ever, and compared to his contemporaries from the season, his voice might just sound the most preserved from the show. Compared to Katherine, Yamin sounds nearly as full as he did on the show where Katherine comes over breathier and slighly less refined. His inflections, ad libs, and nuances all trump Taylor Hicks as Yamin easily sounds like a more refined vocalist. "Movin' On" isn't the second coming by any means, and it's 'hit potential' factor is slim, but it is a nice representation of how Yamin ultimately sounds and proves as a studio vocalist.
"Wait For You" slows things down from the mid-tempo opener and puts Yamin's silky smooth tenor vocals over the ultimate Urban drum programming. The song isn't quite as memorable as it should be, but it is another strong number that showcases Yamin's great vocal skills. Here, Yamin feels more natural than a number of other Idol Alum who are forced to record things as opposed to staying true to theirselves. Third track
"Find A Way" proves to be just as energized if not more so than "Movin' On". The programming is killer here and the piano within the production adds a very nice touch. Yamin takes some risky, but worthwile vocal risk here adding a plethora of runs (which always seem to connect) and even scat, which takes you back to his exceptional rendition of "Moody's Mood For Love" on the American Idol soul. The songwriting here is top-notch as it bridges retro-soul and modern soul simultaneously. It is one of the best of the album.
"One Word" explores the realm of adult-contemporary and pulls it off well for the most part. It isn't nearly as exciting as "Movin' On" or the better-than-expected "Find A Way", but it is strong enough. The hook feels the slightest bit abrupt and throws the listener for a slight loop where they expect to here a short interlude to seperate the verse and chorus. "You Are The One" slows things down a bit more with melodic piano lines underlying Yamin's pure, resonating vocals. Again, Yamin plays into the adult contemporary realm of R&B, which once again reveals ample results for Yamin. "You Are The One" might trump its counterpart, "One Word" by a bit because it feels freer and allows Yamin to truly stretch his vocals more. "I'm The Man" also focuses in on adult contemporary as opposed to merely "urban" ruminations. Unfortunately for Yamin, the third straight AC tune isn't quite as convincing where songwriting is concerned. As always, Yamin sounds great, which is ultimately the reason for ELLIOTT YAMIN. Unfortunately, the repetitive nature of "One Word", "You Are The One" (the best and most credible of these three), and "I'm The Man" (the worst of the three) does hold ELLIOTT YAMIN back some.
"Trainwreck" brings ELLIOTT YAMIN back to its original momentum set by the great "Movin' On" and "Find A Way". Finally here, the neo-/retro-soul vibe returns after a brief hiatus (the three adult contemporary tracks). The songwriting is first-rate here (once again), making "Trainwreck" among the best of the best tracks on ELLIOTT YAMIN. The grit Yamin achieves here is just chilling! "Free" isn't quite as convincing as the very best, but it isn't bad. The production is once again great (organs, piano, drum programming) though the background vocals sound a little "cheap" to me, if you know what I mean. The hook isn't the best I've ever heard, but it does stick in your head. "Free", if it does nothing else does keep the momentum going, which is always a positive thing.
"Alright" finds the producers finally being more exploratory. This track reminds me a lot of "Everything I Can't Have" from Robin Thicke's THE EVOLUTION OF ROBIN THICKE. It emplores the horns (the big band sample), and a killer, if somewhat 'offbeat' drum groove underlying the production. The track doesn't always work, but it is close enough and Yamin sings the hell out of it either way. The bridge is cool where everything seems to click for perhaps the first time within the song and I understand the reason why the producers and Yamin LIKED and PICKED the track; it is fun (or theoretically so) and it changes the pace of the album from merely being urban or adult contemporary.
"Take My Breath Away" has a nice six-feel to it and an incredibly soulful feel. The progression proves to be a bit odd at first, until you adjust to the idiosyncrasies of the songwriting. The vocals are lovely as always, and Yamin's vocal touches are flawless. "A Song For You" concludes the album on a high note and proves to be one of few covers that even comes close to rivaling the original; it turns out to be one of the strongest of the album.
Essentially, Elliott Yamin proves that he has the vocal chops on his self-titled debut, despite some missteps (a few two many Adult Contemporary Numbers and "Alright"). It isn't perfect, but it is representative of the great vocalist that Yamin is and is "burgeoning" into. 3 stars for a very nice job Mr. Yamin!!!
Description of Elliott Yamin
Track Listings: 1. Movin On 2. Wait For You 3. Find a Way 4. One Word 5. You Are the One 6. I'm the Man 7. Trainwreck 8. Free 9. Alright 10. Take My Breath Away 11. A Song For You Original Release Date: March 20 2007 Number of Discs: 1 Label: Hickory RecordsElliott Yamin's debut is so agreeable and well-executed it may well convert hardened R&B experts--the kind who'd normally distance themselves from a disc with a TV pedigree. With sincerity and a voice that vaults itself to places no talent-show contestant should be able to go, Yamin bares his soul here in a way that would do his hero, Donny Hathaway, proud. Tracks like "Take My Breath Away" and "You Are the One" find him twisting a wrench around love-stained lyrics; "I'm the Man" and "Find A Way" flow with hat-in-hand grace (and, in the case of the latter, a scat worthy of a vintage jazz stage); and opener "Movin' On" immortalizes the season five judges'-table words of Paula Abdul: Ellliott Yamin is "one funky white boy." As he proves with this five-star album, he is also among the most gifted artists ever to a turn a stint on the show into a recording career. --Tammy La Gorce
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