Graham Colton's rerelease of his latest album is coupled with a short EP of new tunes. The EP (which is actually, the Vol. 2 portion) has three tracks from the original collection which he rerecorded and three tracks that were left off the original mix. The bottom line is that Graham wanted his fans to get the most out of this album, and rereleasing it was the best way. The album features the hit title song single (as well as the EP) which showcases Colton at his pop songwriting best. "Love Comes Back Around" and "1981" are also standouts of the album. The nicest reinvention of a song on the album is "Twenty Something" which gets the full pop rock treatment in this updated version of one of the best tracks from Colton's self released EPs. Graham Colton has proven that he in no way needs a major label behind him to make and release great music. He is a true underappreciated talent that has no where to go but up.
Ben Harper has been making music for two decades, and with each new release he brings something new and exciting to the table while still remaining true to his roots and his sound. This latest album, although filled with a ton of rock, finds him lyrically and conceptually returning to his roots as a folk artist. The content of his music is heartfelt and real, with both straightforward descriptions of loss and heartache as well as symbolic representations of the world in which he lives. It's not surprising that the rock music sounds a lot like his recent work with his 'other' band Relentless7, and the lead single "Rock N' Roll Is Free" is an incredible depiction of that. The song also channels folk rock legend Neil Young, and the album itself features guest appearances by Jackson Browne and Ringo Starr. "Feel Love" is sure to see some heavy radio airplay and "I Will Not Be Broken" is destined to become a quiet fan favorite. Ben Harper always wears his heart on his sleeve in all of his music, but it has never been so evident as it is here.