Is Warren Kimmel the new Elvis Costello?  His name may not hearken back to a rockabilly icon of old but there are more important similarities.  Namely, Elvis, er, Mr. Costello, and Mr. Kimmel both have a knack for intelligent and heartfelt songcraft.  Neither is exactly a Top-40 hook master but both have proven themselves quite capable of laying down a melody you find yourself humming on the elevator.  They also both have a tendency to sing more about love lost than love found, wishing for what could be rather than basking in what is.  

They're also both audacious enough to try their hands at different genres, with Mr. Kimmel spanning pop, rock, a bit of soul,  a touch of classical/jazz guitar, and a taste of the kind of song  that has its hand in twitchy alternative rock, top-40 radio, and the back of a pub.  I could easily imagine hearing just about all of the songs on Mr. Kimmel's CD on the radio.  There is, however, one last trait joining Warren and Elvis: namely, both write songs that push their vocal chords past comfortable limits.  Warren's voice is a bit stronger and smoother overall than Elvis', but while Mr. Costello somehow works his nasal delivery into the fabric of his songs Mr. Kimmel sings straight-forwardly and in earnest, and his voice is audibly straining in several places.  In today's era of the hyper-polished performer this type of thing is much more obvious than it would be in, say, the late 60's.  The musicianship is first-rate throughout, with great guitar riffs and solos that don't overshadow the songs and backup vocals that are soulful and smooth.

I recommend this album to anyone as evidence that songwriting can be thoughtful without being self-absorbed and boring (see Sting) or self-absorbed and juvenile (see Jewel).  Mr. Kimmel, carry the torch!
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Warren is a very talented singer/songwriter/instrumentalist
whose first CD shows him to be  someone who is unafraid to expose his humanity,his love of life,and his willingness to poke fun at himself.Anybody who really enjoys well written songs with a driving,acoustic based flavor(John Mayer, Dave Matthews) will be pleased with the album..
Personally the standout track to me is "Seven Days",but I also really like the drive of "Hard Being Me",and "Creatures",as well as the humor and hooks of ,"The Boyfriend Song",and "Has Anybody Seen Molly?"
All in all- a first rate debut,and a hint of great stuff to follow.
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