For the Ride Home [Bonus CD] (2003)

This repackaged version of Josh Kelley's enjoyable debut, For the Ride Home, includes a bonus disc with two new songs and acoustic versions of the original album's singles. For his part, Kelley can't outrun the sensitive, Southern, and delightfully disheveled singer/songwriter comparisons -- the young Mississippian's in line behind John Mayer at Dave Matthews' bar. Like those guys, Kelley counts producer John Alagía (Mayer's Room for Squares, Matthews' Crash) in his corner. He also sports a similar flair for phrasing and ... Read More

This repackaged version of Josh Kelley's enjoyable debut, For the Ride Home, includes a bonus disc with two new songs and acoustic versions of the original album's singles. For his part, Kelley can't outrun the sensitive, Southern, and delightfully disheveled singer/songwriter comparisons -- the young Mississippian's in line behind John Mayer at Dave Matthews' bar. Like those guys, Kelley counts producer John Alagía (Mayer's Room for Squares, Matthews' Crash) in his corner. He also sports a similar flair for phrasing and first-person confession, especially on Ride Home's "Angeles" and "Travelin." Kelley's sound can tend toward the bland -- "I Saw You" is like a highway exit with 14 enticing yet utterly homogenous fast-food offerings. However, dollops of Kelley's homespun charm do keep things interesting enough. Opener and lead single "Amazing" is an upbeat, dizzy number warmed by Kelley's husky, expressive vocals and an organ solo; the song's similarity to Jason Mraz's "Remedy (I Won't Worry)" isn't surprising -- Alagía produced that one, too. But that's all right. For the Ride Home ends up succeeding for some of the same reasons Mraz and Mayer did -- like them, Kelley has a disheveled friendliness that's hard to resist. He's a top-shelf road-trip conversationalist, looks great in a wrinkled oxford, and settles comfortably somewhere between sensitive and upbeat. His five o'clock shadow never gets to ten, and he's looking at you with amusement over the lip of his coffee mug. While lighthearted material like "Perfect 10" and the single are pleasing enough, it's actually the quieter material that's most promising here. "Amen" is an elegiac number that suggests, well, Seal, while the arrangement for emotional standout "Home to Me" is wisely pared down to Kelley's faintly cracking vocal, an acoustic guitar, and a pretty wash of atmospherics. As for the bonus disc, "Solid Ground" might be the better of the two new songs -- its smooth phrasing, classic structure, and tastefully warm instrumentation are reminiscent of underrated Irishmen Del Amitri. The acoustic material is strong too; "Small Town Boy" features a subtly gorgeous supporting harmony, and "Amazing" proves equally addicting in a rollicking front-porch state. Cool piano solo, too. ~ Johnny Loftus, Rovi Read Less