Civilian

Anyone who has listened to the cast albums of RENT or AIDA knows that armed with the right material Adam Pascal has a wickedly talented delivery. "Civilian" featuring songs penned by Pascal himself shows glimpses of his singing talent, but also demonstrates a need for growth as a song writer. There are moments in a handful of songs that spotlight Pascal's talent, but none of the songs manage to channel that brilliance for a full 3 minutes. There are not "hit songs". Jon Bon Jovi, one of Pascal's admitted idols, struggled with a similar problem early in his career and solved it by collaborating with hit writer extraordinaire Desmond Child who was able to give his songs the hooks they needed to jump from mediocrity to greatness. Once Pascal finds the right mentor/collaborator such as Child, he will be able to begin fulfilling his promise.

You're going to be blown away. "Civilian" is a great mix of uptempo songs and ballads, some nice bluesy tunes like "The Ringing in My Ears" and really strong, interesting lyrics. The poetic phrasing in "Something of Ours" is particularly haunting.

Pascal's influences are pretty clear here in the melodies-- rock pioneers of the late sixties and early seventies will hear their impact on this disc. However, the lyrics are unique and original.

Oh, and by the way, if you weren't aware of it already, this guy has a voice that can reach down into your soul and rip your guts. Absolutely fantastic vocals.

Well worth the money-- I've become hooked on this CD!

Being an Adam Pascal fan since his work on Aida, I've seen him through many stages of his career. After the Rent movie, I fell even more in love with his voice and acting, I finally decided to buy this. Wow!! His writing skills are top notch and his voice sounds gorgeous. The lyrics deal with everything from politics to lost love to his children. A must buy!