Graham Colton is one of those artists who seems to love to break the rules.
I first heard his band's juicy blend of rock and pop when they were the opening act for the Counting Crows in Bloomington back in October 2002. While many of the people around me were hardcore Crows fans who had no desire to hear another opening act, I'd already purchased the band's CD, knowing nothing about what they sounded like. It's a policy that I follow whenever I go to a show, and I've discovered many a great indie band when I follow the opening act rule. And it certainly didn't fail me that night.
The band I heard on stage had the uncanny ability to blend elements from bands like Our Lady Peace and Matchbox 20 with more subtle strokes that were quite their own. Through their forty-five minute set, I remember being enthralled, hardly even remembering that Counting Crows were playing next. I kept thinking through the words I wanted to write about how great the band was, and how to make sure others got to hear what I was hearing.
Then when they left the stage and the Crows were back in the front of my head, I forgot all about this Graham Colton fellow. And apart from a few listens, the CD found itself relegated to my "listen later" file. That is, until earlier this week, when I started digging for some music I hadn't heard in a while. The self-titled album Graham Colton found its way into my CD changer, and I'll tell you, I'm glad I took the time to hit play.
Some of these songs grip you because of the way the band lifts from their influences to jump genres. Songs like "Best Thing" could be pigeonholed as a pop song, and you wouldn't be wrong, but the rhythmic percussion, the mild Vertical Horizon-ish vocals, and the gentle guitar strumming can be deceiving. Put the song on in the background while you think about other things, and suddenly another element comes out. The pop construction gives way, and you hear what the band means you to hear: a great acoustic melody with elements of rock and pop, that is really more of a blend. You just can't think too much about it or you miss it.
Other songs on the nine track album stand out upon repeated listens. "Killing Me" is perhaps one of the best acoustic melodies I've heard in a long time, combining vocal elements of Coldplay and Our Lady Peace with a simple evocative backdrop. It's a signal of their unique style that Graham Colton and his band can take something so simple, and make it seem so evocative. Then they can move on to songs like "This Time" which features an achingly haunting vocal line that sounds so much like it's channeling Raine Maida that I couldn't believe I wasn't listening to "4AM" or "Car Crash" off OLP's Clumsy.
It's all here, you just have to give the album a little time to simmer. And now that I've culled it from the herd of the unheard, I can't believe it took me a year and a half to remember why I'd liked Graham's music so much in the first place. If you can get your hands on this solid indie release, and can give the music time to drip into your head and take up residence, I can assure you you'll have yourself a new favorite.
Rating: ***
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