Album Details

• Artist: Derek Stroker
• EP:
Love & Colour
• Label: BMI
• Year of Release: 2012
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: carlita on 2012-06-13

Checking out Derek Stroker's new album, Love & Colour, coming out this fall, I immediately dug his voice, a mix of acoustic reggae 90's Maxi Priest, 80's Mr. Mister, 00's pop Gavin Degraw, and even R&B contemporary Maxwell, that paints a realistic singer/songwriter portrait of the evolution of relationships. But as an avid fan of singer/songwriter albums, I've noticed something recently. They somehow tend to fall in a few buckets -#1- I have a crush on a girl/boy and now I'm going to tell you about it, #2- I've gotten the girl/boy I wanted and now I'm going to tell you about it,#3- I sadly lost the girl/boy, I don't like her/him anymore and now I'm going to tell you about it.  A listener must be in the right frame of mind to appreciate exposed vulnerability and honesty put out there for display, identifying with these situations we've all gone through at some point in our lives.

I was all set to pigeonhole this album into having songs falling in all three buckets, when a few gems stuck in my head (always a good sign).  After a few listens, found myself going back to "White Lies", "Falling in Love"  and "Blue Skies" that had some trademark Nashville pop, a little reggae, and a little classic 70's Fleetwood Mac at times. There's a light, airy radio-friendly quality to several of the songs with Derek at the helm as "the breeze, it speaks so clearly".  Ending the album off on a high note on "Saved By A Song", with soft piano and cello accompaniment,  he's made up his mind that after all the BS, he's going to give this love another chance, which provides the worthwhile happy romcom ending we all wish for after the trials and tribulations. Cleverly playing in the vein of vocalizing certain emotions every girl may wish her boyfriend would, Love & Colour reminds the listener why "fools fall in love".

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