Don't be put off by the goofy starving magician image makeover or the self-perpetuated claim that this record is wildly different than the other two Ryan Cabrera CDs: this is a pretty standard Ryan Cabrera CD. And that's a good thing!
Ryan Cabrera has a genuine talent for churning out some really catchy pop rock tunes, and his voice is crisp and clear with a delicate falsetto that is not overused. Lyrically he is no Sting or Costello but that is part of the charm.
His third release "The Moon Under Water" (which I had to buy despite a polite request, cheap bastard) continues in the Ryan Cabrera tradition of sounding like a little Goo Goo Doll that could. Some of the tracks, most notably "Enemies" and "Sit Back, Relax" have a bit of a dance groove, but are still recognizable as Cabrera and won't scare off his rock fans. For those who like what Simple Plan did on their latest, they will appreciate these tracks.
There are some excellent pop rockers on here for Ryan Cabrera to be proud of, including the single "Say". This song will burn onto your brain immediately and is most difficult to get out of your head. "In Between Lines" and "The Tango" are additional noteworthy rockers. Missing here is a standout ballad like the simple and sweet "True". There are a few ballads, but none worth writing home about. He's also reworked his former hit "I Will Remember You", but I'm not sure I like it better than the original. I would have rather heard a new original.
I purchased my CD from Target, which contains two bonus tracks. The first is an acoustic version of "Say" and is quite good. The second will frighten you rockers...it is a bona fide techno dance mix of "Enemies". Avoid it like the plague.
When most artists break from the majors and finance their own independent release to make the music they "really want to make", it usually turns into a disaster. Ryan defies the odds with "The Moon Under Water", but this is because it is not that much of a transformation than he makes it out to be. And again, that is a good thing!
iPOD-worthy: 1, 3, 6, 8, 10
Ryan Cabrera on MySpace. Official site.
Check out the video for "Say":
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