Casey Abrams - Casey Abrams Review

On his self-titled debut, Abrams takes advantage of the most winning qualities he displayed on the show. His vocals sound less fettered and more fluid than ever — enough to make even his busiest scats seem not skittish but pretty. It’s a style as supple in tone as it is agile in cadence. Matched to his high, boyish pitch, it suggests someone utterly free of guile or defensiveness.

The material Abrams co-wrote (often with just one collaborator at a time) follows suit, hitching bright folk-pop to breezy pop-jazz. Think: early Jason Mraz meets “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”-style Bobby McFerrin. The opening song, “Simple Life,” could be “Don’t Worry’s” long lost son. While Abrams only whistles in one song (“A Boy Can Dream”), all the performances feel that giddy.

The jazzier songs have more individuality than the pop ones. Better, they allow Abrams to show off his double-bass-playing chops, especially in “Dry Spell,” where he really swings under a rollicking piano solo from the equally impish Jamie Cullum.

While many songs mean to communicate romantic pining, Abrams’ delivery has such ease and sweetness, it erases any sadness. He sings entirely in winks and blushes, playing the bashful best friend who never gets the girl but always gets the joke. No wonder his performances have little depth and less sex. Luckily for him, what he lacks in those he makes up for in charm....full text Summer has arrived, and with it the self-titled debut album of American Idol season 10 finalist Casey Abrams (in stores June 26). From the first notes of the opening track, “Simple Life,” it’s clear that this is summer music, best listened to by the pool or at a Fourth of July BBQ.
The range of genres separates this album from the releases of other American Idol alums. In the last several years, the Billboard chart has been dominated by dance songs with little more than a lazy house beat and catchy chorus. There aren’t any samples or beat drops on Casey Abrams, but the first single, “Get Out,” made me want to get up and move more than most of the dance tracks currently dominating Top 40 radio. That’s just one of the many radio-friendly potential hits on the album. By blending his skills as a jazz multi-instrumentalist, his powerful voice, and pop sensibilities, Abrams delivers an impressive debut that’s sure to satisfy his loyal fans and gain him lots of new ones....full text Casey Abrams took the country by storm with his unique style of playing the upright bass and his one of a kind look and vocal quality while a contestant on American Idol. Casey is so unique that he could be thought of as the bass playing Ian Anderson for the new generation.

His debut album contains 11 songs of quirky, original, acoustic, bass thumping, vocal gold. While the kid is not classic rock, he has the sprit and style that made our music so special in the first place. Casey mixes soft rock with jazz with reggae with his own personality.

The best songs on the album are “Simple Life,” “Ghosts,” “Dry Spell” and “Hit the Road Jack,” the latter performed with fellow Idol contestant Haley Reinhart. The best song is the tune “Stuck in London.” While stuck in London Casey eats mangos from a mango tree musically proving that this white boy has a bit of Bob Marley in his soul!...full text Casey Abrams, the sixth place finalist on American Idol season 10, will release his self-titled debut album, produced by Randy Jackson, on June 26, 2012 through Concord Music Group.

Abrams, known for his jazz-infused vocal style and upright bass skills, says he plays everything on the album. “Bass, cello, guitar, drums, keyboard, even recorder as an intro to one of the songs,” he says. “There might be a sax here and there, you never know.”

Abrams also wrote or co-wrote each song on the record, except for a cover of Ray Charles’ “Hit the Road Jack,” performed as a duet with fellow American Idol finalist Haley Reinhart....full text