Picking up where 2010's
4 U left off, vocalist
Cody Simpson's second EP, 2011's
Coast to Coast, features more of the young Aussie sensation's dance-oriented R&B and contemporary pop. Discovered via YouTube videos he posted singing songs by the likes of
Justin Timberlake and
Jason Mraz,
Simpson makes similarly pop-oriented material that fits well next to such contemporaries as
Justin Bieber and
Greyson Chance. In that sense, tracks such as the buoyant "Good as It Gets" and the amiable "Crazy But True" sound something along the lines of
Jason Mraz covering early
Michael Jackson, albeit with crisp and shimmering modern production. A co-writer on two songs,
Simpson clearly has an exuberant and pleasant vocal style, and it doesn't hurt that he's getting some good hooky pop material to showcase himself with here. ~ Matt Collar