Following up his 2005 debut (which has sold over 40,000 copies without label support), Joey DeGraw is set to unveil his sophomore record Say Something Strong. A powerful title for a powerful record, Joey proves that he and younger brother Gavin merely share a surname and some common influences. They sound very little alike truth be told and those interested more in Folk or artists-centric artists may find Joey’s approach much more to their liking.
For the most part, Say Something Strong is like a next-gen angry folkie record. It’s introspective and acoustic based but it has more than a little bite to it. Case in point is the album’s inaugural track, “Waving at No One.” The song deals with the myriad of fake friendships in our everyday lives and pretty much paves the way for the album’s angriest moment, the soulful but edgy title track. “Sister Mystery” is another super catchy track that will be right at home on mainstream radio. It’s “Your Last Day” that really gets me though. Coming on strong late in the album, there’s something about the melody to this one that just sticks with you long after the song finishes. It’s a very restrained song, sounding like Joey wants to explode but never really lets loose in the way you’d expect.
I really enjoy Say Something Strong. That is really saying something considering that I really don’t consider myself a fan of the male side of the Singer/Songwriter or Folk genres. For me, the male voices in these genres don’t have the depth and dynamics that the female voices have but Joey DeGraw has both in spades. Any fan of Barenaked Ladies, Dave Matthews Band, Matthew Good Band, Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle, or the like will find a lot to enjoy here despite the fact that Joey DeGraw doesn’t really sound like any of them.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
