Soulful balladeers of the John Mayer school may soon find a new source of competition in a young one named Zack Weber. The promising singer/songwriter’s debut album, Daydreams and Day Jobs, alone could give them a run for their money.

His great vocal range and his powerful control of it is matched by intensely intimate lyrics as tender and sure as a John Legend joint. Many people have commented on the maturity of the St. Louis, MO born 22 year-old’s lyrics, and it’s true that they are unusually introspective for someone his age. (“Sleep” in particular tugs at the heart strings.) But what is even more interesting is the range of influences he and his band draw on.

Weber experiments freely with modes and styles on this album while remaining surprisingly restrained in his songwriting. Blending a gentle reggae rhythm into the playful piano pop of “Words” is a neat trick and he makes it look easier than it really is. From there, he makes a departure with “Lonely Butterfly’s” English folk tinge — kind of like Simon and Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair”. Songs like this demonstrate his ability to breath new life into older influences.

Later on, he slinks away from the sensitivity so much on display in the first few tracks and flashes his troubled side with the jazzy, blues-inflected “Ms. Know-It-All”. Nice. He even rocks out with full-throated vocals on the swelling “Famous,” channeling Eddie Vedder before tripping into a death defying falsetto in the final seconds of the track. He takes off from there into a moody rock journey on “Shoot the Moon” and even toys with scat on “Playground Rocks.”

The second half of the album treats listeners to delicate, finger-picked acoustic versions of some of the songs that are fully arranged on the first half. These show off even more his capacity for restraint and knack for creating an atmosphere of intimacy.

At times, with all his musical exploration it can seem as though Weber is trying to find a voice and a style to call his own, but he can certainly be forgiven for that at this stage in his career. It leaves you wondering what side of himself will be revealed by his sophomore effort.

Zack Weber. Photo Source: www.zachweber.com

– Beverly Bryan