Well, I wrote a review here when the album first came out, but I felt it was too impersonal.
The fact is that Gavin DeGraw's work totally changed the way I think about music. I thought at one time that good original music was no longer being made, that the tank was dry. This is not the case. Gavin's music is not only original and pleasing to the ears, it is also pleasing to the heart.
Personally, I was going through a rough time emotionally when I first discovered Gavin DeGraw. Listening to the album FREE gave me a strength in my heart that can never be valued.
All of Gavin's stuff is great. The composition is perfect for every song, Gavin's vocals are rich, and the lyrics are so much deeper than it would seem at first listen, giving it a replay value that' is ridiculous. When you start listening to Gavin DeGraw, you will never want to stop. Trust me.
This album is no different. Put the disc in and relax, taking in every minute detail of the music.
To you Gavin, thank you from every fan who has been truly touched by the meaning of your songs. You are an inspiration to all of us.
One last thing, search out Jesus Christ, because through Him is the perfect love and salvation of God.

I've waited for Gavin's new album for quite some time, and it was worth the wait! Released the week of my birthday, finally hitting the "Download Tracks" button and opening each new tune was such a great gift!

I agree with recent reviews of the complete album, which is, that Gavin does not write "drive thru" music....it takes awhile for the melodies to marinate in the listeners mind, and they slowly simmer down and blend together until we connect with the tunes. Some new fans may not take the time to understand that Gavin writes for a crowd of us who are willing to sit and walk through the emotions of life with him, one step at a time. He's not a short order chef, he's serving us up something deeper to experience.

As I write this, I have "Where You Are" set on repeat on my playlist, and I'm thinking back through my own mistakes, amazed at life's twists and turns, and letting the music/lyrics be what they are within my own experiences. That ability to reflect on life is exactly what I wanted to get from this album.

This album may not be the commercial success of a formulaic "pop album", but for those Gavin De Graw fans who know his collection of music, we say, "Gavin, we get it, and we love it."

I was introduced to Gavin DeGraw by my daughter when his first album was released, and I discovered that his music and lyrics transcend age--it's timeless. I've experienced that with every album, and "Sweeter" lives up to that standard. I'm 58 and my daughter is 28, and we have had wonderful conversations about Gavin's music and lyrics. We watched the live session on the internet back in September, and bought tickets that day to see Gavin perform in St. Louis on Oct. 11. By a terrible twist of fate, my daughter had to be hospitalized on Oct. 11, and she was so disappointed that we missed Gavin's show at the Pageant. I told her just to get well and we'd go see/hear him in Memphis. She's well, I have tickets in hand, and next Wednesday we'll drive the 4 hours from St. Louis to Memphis listening to "Sweeter" and singing along with it all the way there. Can't wait to actually SEE the emotion that I hear in every note and every word Gavin sings!