Compass Out
Eight Great Gambits Publishing, 2013
REVIEW BY: Tom Haugen
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 03/19/2013
In a time when it seems like too many artists jump into releasing albums prematurely, it's nice to know someone like Jared Salvatore took his time. Having cut his teeth as a co-writer on a handful of releases, the singer-songwriter worked on his vocal, guitar and piano skills while penning songs for others until he was ready to move from behind the scenes to the spotlight.
His sophomore album, Compass Out, follows his exceptional debut, 2009's Mischief And Mayhem, furthering his soulful pop rock and introspective wordplay. Salvatore's work is reminiscent of Jason Mraz or even a less rugged Ryan Adams, and encapsulates a lot of different tones he's picked up from the various bands he's played in during his formative years in Boston.
Compass Out starts off with one of the strongest tracks, “Helplessly Wanted,” which blends guitar and synth with warm melodies and layered background vocals. “Fire” arrives next, and this time Salvatore is joined by Rebecca Muir. The pair places much emphasis on the vocals here, resulting in one of the most memorable choruses on the disc. Meanwhile, “My Love” is lyrically straightforward, a detailed account of the subject's adoration set to an upbeat, easy listening template.
At the halfway point, “You Break It” starts quiet and builds into soaring pop rock that displays Salvatore's impressive voice. Following this, the guitars take a break from being the focal point, with “Grounded” instead adding piano and violins to create one of the calmest moments while he hits the highest of notes with ease. The disc ends on a funk spirited tune, with “Learned My Lesson” being a much different song than the rest of the batch, taking on a G Love sort of playfulness.
Though he may not be treading new ground, Jared Salvatore has a lot of good songwriting in him and possesses a voice you won't soon forget, which allows him to stand out in a genre with a lot of mediocrity. If artists like Gavin DeGraw and Jack Johnson are in your rotation, this is worth looking into and will probably fit nicely in your collection.