Gavin DeGraw - Chariot [Chariot + Chariot Stripped] (CD)

Personnel: Gavin DeGraw (vocals, piano, keyboards); Michael Ward (guitar); Alvin Moody (bass); Joey Waronker (drums). Recorded at Sunset Sound and Larabee East, Los Angeles, California; The Hit Factory, New York, New York. Personnel: Gavin DeGraw (vocals, piano, keyboards); Gavin DeGraw; Paulo Coelho (guitar, background vocals); Patrick Warren (harmonium, organ); Alvin Moody (bass guitar, background vocals); Steve Gryphon (programming); Paul Coelho (background vocals); Michael Ward , Oz Noy (guitar); Joey Waronker (drums); Rodney Howard (percussion). Audio Mixers: Mark Endert ; Jon Kaplan. Recording information: Dumbo Studios, New York, NY; Larrabee East, Los Angeles, CA; Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA; The Hid Factory, New York, NY. Editor: Steve Gryphon. Photographer: Steven Sebring. Triangulated somewhere between the passionate earnestness of David Gray, the polished post-Jeff Buckleyisms of Howie Day, and the Hootie-meets-Petty pop-rock of Pete Yorn, the photogenic young troubadour Gavin DeGraw (he's even got a great name) seems almost preternaturally destined for success on his seamless debut album. Expertly produced by Mark Endert, CHARIOT organically emphasizes the natural hookiness of the material rather than relying on crass production tricks to shove the songs down the public's throat. DeGraw's voice has just the right mix of ragged honesty, falsetto-tinged sweetness, and pure pop melodicism, and the mainstream singer-songwriter rock he turns out is a refreshingly gimmick-free commodity all too rare for its era.

• Genre: Rock and Pop
• Format: CD
• Released: 07/27/2004