Elliott Yamin (CD - 2007)

Personnel: Tony Reyes (guitar, keyboards, background vocals); Espen Lind, John McCurry (guitar); Oliver Goldstein (acoustic guitar, piano, synthesizer, programming); Ely Rise (strings, keyboards, synthesizer); Michael Hunter (trumpet); Steve Baxter (trombone); Raymond Angry (piano); Adam Pallin, Derek Bramble (keyboards, programming); Amy Wood, Dave Borla, Josh Freese, Caesar Griffin (drums); Miguel Rivera (tambourine); Honey Larochelle, Taj Jackson (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Colin Miller; Karl Egsieker; Phil Tan; Ryan Williams.

Recording information: Battery Studios, New York, NY; Chung King Studios, New York, NY; Mojo Studios, New York, NY; Pulse Recording, Los Angeles, CA; The Playhouse Studios, Woodland Hills, CA.

Photographer: Nick Spanos.

Elliott Yamin finished third in the fifth season of AMERICAN IDOL (he lost out to the bar-room blues-rock of Taylor Hicks and pop vocal theatrics of Katharine McPhee), and his self-titled debut delivers on all the promise of his well-received television performances. Nicely produced and put together, ELLIOTT YAMIN dabbles in a variety of styles, including adult contemporary, retro soul, smooth R&B, and soft rock, but Yamin's strong, soulful vocals take center stage. The mishmash of genres makes the album somewhat uneven, but fortunately Yamin's singing--which sounds better here than ever, and is the reason his fans will buy this release--is enough to compensate for any inconsistencies. minimize