"Not Over You," the first single off of the album, is DeGraw sharing his vulnerable side with his listeners, juxtaposing an energetic piano riff with heartfelt lyrics that almost any human can relate to. The song is clearly quite personal, and the fact that DeGraw is willing to state his insecurity in such a blunt way garners respect. The line "I would lie and say that you're not on my mind" oozes with DeGraw's misery, but he makes that misery sound so delightful with his entrancing voice. Check it out here:
"Candy" is an excellently written extended metaphor concerning the consequences of obsessing over materialistic, vain aspects of life. The percussion in this track engraves the rhythm into the listener's mind. The layered vocals towards the end of it make for a great lead into the instrumental conclusion - a blissful 30 seconds of guitar, percussion and piano quite reminiscent of an Eric Clapton or Allman Brothers Band tune.
Perhaps the darkest track of "Sweeter" is the sinful, up-tempo "Radiation," a declaration of poor decisions based solely on the irresistible sexual relationship with an irresistible female. "If you get an invitation, I'm probably drunk" perfectly describes DeGraw's downward spiral into an empty entangling with the female in question. By the end of the track, it seems that DeGraw has resolved to finally get off the roller coaster and get on with his life, which, from the sounds of it, is probably the best idea for both parties. Regardless of the mildly selfish attitude DeGraw portrays in the song, it is nice to know he is human and even nicer to hear his sultry voice utter "You're just as hot as radiation."
"Sweeter" contains an incredible amount of versatility lyrically and musically. DeGraw has achieved a high level of maturity as a songwriter with this album, making it an absolutely imperative addition to any alternative playlist.
Photo credit: http://www.wzip88.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/GavinDeGraw1.jpg
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