Adam Whiting’s deep, woodsy voice and sophisticated guitar lines evoke images of someone who has lived a lot of life and played a lot of music. But Whiting is just twenty-four, and “Point of Reference” is his first CD. Equal parts singer/songwriter and classical guitarist, Whiting studied at the N.C. School of the Arts. After graduation, he spent some time in New York City, then moved to Charlotte and jumped onto the coffeehouse circuit. “Point of Reference” matches six of his own songs with works for classical guitar by three fine composers: Carlo Domeniconi, Agustin Barrios Mangore, and Leo Brouwer. The mix of genres—coffeehouse songs and classical suites—might seem a bit odd at first, but listening to the album reveals the ties that bind the two halves together. A multilayered texture, for example, which sounds as though two guitars were playing instead of one, is as much a characteristic of Whiting’s song accompaniments as it is of the classical compositions. The pieces also share a predilection for minor tonalities, which narrows the range of Whiting’s expression. We hear melancholy, intensity, wistfulness—even anger, but we never feel joy or triumph or humor. While the palette of moods has only dark colors, the music offers diversity in other ways. Domeniconi’s “Koyunbaba” is Turkish in flavor, with a frenzied Presto section at the end. The Paraguayan Mangore conjures the ghost of Bach in “The Cathedral,” and Brouwer’s “Danza Caracteristica” leaps with Afro-Cuban syncopation. Whiting’s own songs are earnest and poetic. He shows much promise for the years ahead.

Charlotte's Adam Whiting, a classically trained guitarist and singer-songwriter, introduces both sides of his musical personality on his self-released debut album, "Point of Reference." The disc is divided into two parts. The first half contains original material, which ranges from quiet psychedelia of the title track to experimental folk. The second half of the disc finds Whiting's fingers dancing through classical compositions by Carlo Domeniconi, Agustin Barrios Mangore, and Leo Brouwer. While the juxtaposing styles his range as a player, even his original material isn't folkie, coffeehouse fare. Whiting's voice is low and brooding like a less-dramatic, Southern Eddie Vedder, but it's his guitar work that stands out.

IT WOULD BE TEMPTING to depict Adam Whiting as a diamond in the rough. There is, after all, a pleasing edginess to his playing. A rough and tumble quality surges through his direct and highly original approach to making music. But after a thorough sit-down with his remarkable debut release, "Point of Reference", it's clear this edge comes not from lack of polish, but from an intuitive grasp of exactly when to obsess and when to let go. Listen carefully and you will hear an artist making sophisticated choices every second of the way. The result is a seductive balance between raw and defined. A meticulously crafted, rough-hewn sheen radiates from every track. It's push and pull, give and take. It's like life. And it's irresistible.