I just bought a few songs from Elliott Yamin's debut album.

Go ahead. Make fun of me. I know you're just dying to.

I am pleasantly surprised by his offering, though. His voice is so clear and strong. It's hard to believe that he's deaf in one ear! This album is good blue-eyed soul.

I was a little disappointed by his rendition of Donny Hathaway's "A Song for You." This is one of my very, very favorites, but I think he oversings it. If you want to hear a PERFECT version of it, check out Michael Buble's. It's much subtler and more elegant. Elliott's take goes in the direction of gospel, which isn't terrible...but it doesn't move me the same way. Buble's version actually brings me to tears every time I listen to it. And Chris Botti's trumpet on Buble's version is sublime.

BUT...Elliott's song "Wait For You" is amazing. It's got that old-school slow jam vibe, which I love.

I'm also liking "Moving On" and "Alright."

My rating: four stars out of five. Nice debut. And I DID mention around a year ago that out of all the American Idol contestants, Elliott's album was the only one I'd seriously consider buying.

Labels: American Idol, music