You Stand Watching (by Ryan Cabrera, Pop)

On YOU STAND WATCHING, Ryan Cabrera's sophomore effort, the 23-year-old singer-songwriter once again delivers fine performances on so-so material. He's got a fine voice, especially if you like breathy, overwrought vocals and the kind of emotive hiccup that can work so well on simple, story-telling, country & western heartbreak songs.

Ryan Cabrera is a young man with genuine talent who needs to find some better songs to sing. He's an excellent instrumental musician who shows off here on both guitar and piano. The arrangements are appropriate, varied, and interesting enough. But most of the songs on You Stand Watching fall flat; once again they deliver repetitive, sappy messages of love and yearning.

Parents can feel safe in the sense that young fans will not be hearing anything offensive or provocative. But they also won't be hearing anything very interesting. Someone needs to tell Ryan that he's not in middle-school poetry class anymore (even if most of his young female fans are) and he has enough talent to make acquiring some taste worth the trouble. Love songs are nice, but there's a wealth of song-writing material out there for the taking, if you get out of the house -- and your own head -- once in a while.

Released on: September 28, 2005
Label: Atlantic
Genre: Pop