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Dallas, TX native and Berklee College of Music grad Troy Cartwright has made his move to the big leagues with his full length self titled debut, distributed by Sony RED. The album is a warm, inviting mixture of down home folk tunes mixed in with a slight country twang that makes the songs that much more authentic and relatable, and finds you smack dab in the middle of Troy's laid-back and reflective persona.
We start things off with "My Girl" a terrific, straightforward rocker that melds in Troy's wonderful and soothing voice, coupled with the Southern influenced instrumentation that makes things jump off the page right away and has us off and running from the get go. My favorite track off the effort is "Next Flight Home", an old styled folk effort that has a more modern twist with deep, focused instrumentation and Troy's vocals once again adding a layer of sophistication and depth to an album that has already exceeded expectations. "Stuck" tones things down considerably with a more reflective number that is indicative of Troy's persona and really cuts to the core and essence of what his music is all about, passionate and emotional lyricism that really connects you with him and makes you feel like you've known him your own life.
The latter half of the record features "Come Home" a melodic, mid-tempo effort featuring solid instrumentation and Troy's trademark vocals once again working their magic through the crevice of this deep effort so far. "A Simple Song" is pretty much a song advertised as its title implies with simply constructed acoustic guitar elements and Troy's vocals making you swoon and fall deep into the simplicity and essence of the song that is just impossible to dislike. "Paper Hope" concludes matters with a great closing number that finds a way to take in elements we've heard in one way or another here on the album, and gives us a quick synopsis of what we've encountered on our journey to the end. I'm truly blessed to know Troy, and I have fond memories of being in the studio with him back in 2012 while he was recording his "Live @ The Record Company" that was a true honor and gift to be in the presence of such a focused and talented musician. Troy has been a huge inspiration to myself just solely for the fact of what he brings as a human being, and it's great to see his music finally get the exposure it deserves.
All in all, a terrific and deeply focused effort heard here from Troy Cartwright, an artist whose passion and enthusiasm for music are unrivaled, and really encapsulates the spirit and essence of what true, honest songwriting and musicianship are all about.
Score: 4.5/5
Track Listing:
My Girl
Fool
Next Flight Home
Stuck
Tell Me Why
Come Home
A SImple Song
Long Way Down
Paper Hope