★ ★ ★ ★ out of 5
During summer 2013, indie singer-songwriter Steve Grand release a self-produced music video in support of his official debut single "All-American Boy" onto YouTube. The visual quickly went viral for its honest, raw portrayal of a same-sex attraction, gaining over a million views in its first week. The video would be the launching platform for Grand, an out and proud artist, and a string of successes were to follow.
Shortly after, Grand released another strong visual for catchy, follow-up single "Stay" and announced plans to use Kickstarter to fund his debut album. Asking for only $81,000 to help with the album's making, the artist's goal was reached in only 17 hours and eventually closed out at over $326,000 raised, then the third-most funded music project on the site. Not bad for an indie country artist.
Over a year later, Grand proudly presents All-American Boy, an album featuring original songwriting from the artist as well as its four released singles and a true country/pop sound. Officially set to be released on March 24, the new album thankfully shines the spotlight on Grand's tremendous vocal abilities and his personal stories and experiences. People need to focus on the word "artist", not the word "gay", when it comes to Grand and his touching music.
The album kicks off with the guitar-driven "Say You Love Me", a heartbreaking look into Grand's strong attraction to a straight friend who has a girl waiting for him at home. The artist leaves nothing to the imagination with his in depth songwriting, putting so much heart into every word. As the opening track, it's a good indication to what listeners can expect from the rest of the album material. It's real, honest and well-crafted.
Though he is confused by the "country artist" title bestowed upon him by the media, the Southern-sounding instrumentals on "Red, White and Blue" could shed some light on their reasoning. Grand's heart is bleeding patriotic colors as he fights for love. On the surface the song may be directed to a former lover, but as a bigger picture, it sounds like the artist is questioning the country's own stance on marriage equality.
"We Are The Night" is a welcomed change of sound from anything Grand released prior to the album. While still country-leaning, the uptempo track carries some intriguing dance, rock and pop influences. "And we just want to be free, is there anything more lovely?, we got our whole lives to love," he sings on the inspiring chorus. Tailored for radio with a strong vocal performance, this one has hit potential.
The country-inspired ballad "All-American Boy", showcases the artist's impressive and raw vocal talent as he sings about wishing for his small town best friend to look his way, even though he has a girlfriend of his own. The ballad is a personal look into Grand's love life, and as he shares intimate details of his life, the song becomes a message of universal love that many listeners will gravitate towards.
Everything starts off slow and sweet on "Soakin' Wet", until the chorus kicks in and an energetic Grand sings of jumping in the lake and reminiscing about a former flame. The relationship may have ended, Grand clearly misses the man who has his heart, but it seems he can look past all of those details for a little fun now and then. Again, the artist has created a guitar-heavy track with radio crossover potential.
Grand is dealing with the common mixed emotions that come with the end of a relationship on "Lovin Again". The artist goes against his better judgment and keeps allowing himself to get sucked in by his previous lover, loving how it feels wrapped in his big arms, but finally gains the courage to say goodbye forever. He won't let the guy keep him from loving again. The pieces all come together, with the highlight being Grand's narrative songwriting.
The album's next official single, "Whiskey Crime" will unfortunately be a hit or miss for listeners. The premise is fun and carefree, who doesn't like a song with numerous alcohol references? However, the track sounds incomplete, the chorus is a little flat and it's not very memorable. "Whiskey, whiskey, make me strong, keep me going all night long," Grand belts on a track that will have any party goer singing along.
"Stay", the album's second single, is a feel-good anthem describing a summer love that was eventually lost in the fall. Grand found the perfect way to combine country and pop elements into a catchy song that stays lodged in a listener's head long after it comes to an end. For the album version, more instrumentals have been added which allows those who previously purchased the single to fall in love with it all over again.
The heat gets turned up, and Grand gets a little sensual and seductive on "Next To Me", a piano-driven number where the artist confesses to breaking a few hearts, but still finds the desire to get someone out of their clothes. Always the gentleman, Grand has found a way to turn a song about sex into a classy, romantic, rock-inspired creation that will make listeners' hearts instantly melt.
To tide impatient fans over until the album's release, Grand released "Time", a track that follows in the footsteps of Grand's previous singles as a heartfelt, country-inspired song telling an honest story of love while highlighting the artist's impressive talent for songwriting. "When I left my life to the cold outside, you left your light on, you let me shine on," he sings before the energy and instrumentals pick up pace for the soaring chorus.
Sometimes the right thing to do for a relationship is to realize when it's finally coming to an end. On "Better Off", Grand does just that and a listener can't help but get emotional. Even when both parties go their separate ways, there's still enough love left to want nothing but the best for the other. Though it might seem like a somber moment, Grand sings with an optimistic, sincere swing in his step.
Contemplating life is a difficult task, as Grand discovers on "Run", a meaningful piece of country/pop that needs to be serviced as an official single. Added to the track list at the last minute, the song is a perfect blend of strong instrumentals and a captivating vocal performance with an encouraging underlying message. "So pack your bags, we leave tonight, we won't go down without a fight," the artist powerfully sings.
The album closes out with "Back To California", a song that was released when Grand's Kickstarter was initially announced. The artist takes a look back at a false early relationship, the mistakes of childhood. However, just as most of his songs, there is an deeper message of a lasting friendship that knows no boundaries. Grand delivers a solid performance as the artist shares a story ripped straight from his journal.
All-American Boy was a long time in the making. While plans for Steve Grand's debut album were initially announced back in February 2014, a few setbacks caused the album to be released more than a full year later. However, with intimate songwriting and strong vocal performances throughout the 13-track effort, all the time was worth the wait. Grand has produced an album, a majority of it written and produced on his own, that crosses many boundaries. The album is not only a country experiment as many have labelled it. The artist has used pop, dance and rock elements to his advantage, expanding his broad range that much more. His honest storytelling leaves no stone unturned and may be the main reason Grand found a devoted audience in the first place. He definitely got his message across.
Tracks To Hear: "We Are The Night", "All-American Boy", "Soakin' Wet" and "Run"
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