Josh Krajcik's major-label debut,
Blindly, Lonely, Lovely showcases the soulful talent that helped the vocalist nab the runner-up slot on the 2011 season of FOX's The X-Factor vocal competition. Despite his trial by reality TV fire,
Krajcik is no newbie to the music business, having previously released two independent albums with the
Josh Krajcik Band. Thankfully, he gets writing credits on all of the songs on
Blindly, Lonely, Lovely, which lends the album an earnest, personal quality. With his burnished, robust vocal style,
Krajcik often brings to mind such similarly inclined singers as
John Mayer and
Blues Traveler's
John Popper. In some ways, with his album's mix of R&B-inflected anthems, ruminative ballads, and earthy singer/songwriter pop tunes,
Krajcik also brings to mind British sensation
Adele. The comparison isn't so far-fetched, as longtime
Adele producer and songwriting partner
Eg White has co-penned several tracks here for
Krajcik. Also adding some inspired production touches are
Chris Seefried,
Julien Bunetta, and
Steve Robson, all get co-writing credits here. To these ends, there are such stand-out tracks as the roiling, bluesy, '70s-influenced "Nothing," the dramatic "Back Where We Belong," and the orchestral, soft rock-inflected ballad "One Thing She'll Never Know,” which, as with many of the songs on the album, sounds something along the lines of
Joe Cocker singing a
Robyn Thicke song. Ultimately,
Blindly, Lonely, Lovely showcases a passionate singer with a knack for mixing a vintage soul sound with a contemporary pop aesthetic. ~ Matt Collar