Ryan Cabrera

Ryan Cabrera had a decent run of success with his first two major label efforts, and on his latest effort, The Moon Under Water, he's back to small label antics with creative freedom, a new grungy look, and fortunately - an album worth your time as a fan or pop listener.

The Moon Under Water never strays far from mainstream pop conventions, but Cabrera layers on a mixture of instrumentation that lends itself to some of what we see in today's indie-pop. "In Between Lights" kicks things off with a fresh energy and a chorus littered with hooks - showcasing Cabrera's smart writing. I think one of the things people like about Cabrera is that he doesn't take himself too seriously, and you can hear it in his lyrics in between the more sentimental and serious moments. The record strikes a fine balance between moods and provides a sense of roundness that many records of this genre don't quite flesh out.

The production on The Moon Under Water is layered with a lot of effects and classic instrumentation, making it refreshingly musical. Songs like "Enemies", "Rise (The Dog Barks)", and the infectious "Say" are good examples of the thoughtful and creative instrumentals. "Say" should have been a huge radio hit, and if it had enough exposure, I'm sure it would have been. So many artists are left out in the cold simply because they don't have the heavy backing of big fish industry advertisers. The album's modest commercial success is by no means a reflection of its' outstanding quality in musicianship.

I took a chance on the strength of past releases, and came away very pleased with The Moon Under Water. I hope more people listen to it, and I hope to hear more from this amazingly talented vocalist and writer. Very thoughtful, very smart, and worthy of a place in my collection as a buried treasure.

So I've been a fan ever since the day I saw him open for Jessica Simpson!
I own all of his CDs and on this one... he really shines! I'm so sick of hearing about how he "looks different" now. So what? This is about MUSIC! He found his place and he didn't need to be "hott" to sell records. I went and saw him at House of Blues promoting this record and guess what, long dark hair and all - HE SOUNDS JUST AS WONDERFUL AS HE DID BEFORE with short spikey blonde hair!! He's an AMAZING singer and an AMAZING performer! This CD is for those that appreciate music and not just a singer's appearance. His heart and soul is definitely in this record.

This album is the best one created so far! I think that indie is the way to go, and I am so glad that Ryan chose this route. I have listened to this cd over and over and over and I never get sick of it! I cant wait until he makes another independent record, they seem to be getting better and better each record that is produced!

I love it! The album- like Ryan said is a variety of different sounds. I can't stop listening to it :D

I think Amazon recommended this to me for some reason, I don't remember why, somehow I linked up to it and clicked on the music video. I think the album cover attracted me (I was born under a Cancer moon). I loved this song, and purchased the album based on that (goes to show you how video clips are great sales tools). A cursory google search of Ryan Cabrera turns up a lot of teeny bopper stuff. I guess I'm really not the target market for this musician (39 y/o roots rock fan), but I love his sound! I'm still not sure who or what Ashlee Simpson is, or Nich Lachey and the others mentioned here, but oh well. Good solid album. That's all I care about.

From The Start <> 3.7
Hit Me With Your Light <> 3.5
Shine On <> 3.8
Find Your Way <> Not as catchy as the material on his debut. But possibly as good. 4
Photo <> 3.8
Our Story <> Bleh. Come on Ryan. You're a great singer-songwriter. Show us your stuff. 3.2
Fall Baby Fall <> Don't remember it, and I've played it 2-3x. 3
Last Night <> 3.4
Walking On Water <> 3.2
With You Gone <> Ryan, Baby. Get WITH it! 3.85
It's You <> This album was over in a flash. Maybe it was better that way, sadly? Makes for the best ballad and the best song here. 4.3

Overall, this release was very upsetting. I think it was a freaking sophomore slump. The composition and arrangements lacked that upbeat, pop-rock umph like the first had. But I do like With You Gone, From The Start and It's You!

Cover Art: B+
Inside Art: ?
Songwriting: C+
Vocals: C+
Vocal Emotion: B-
Production: B-
Length: A

35.475/11 = 3.225

3.23 stars.

Overall: C-

Ryan could have done SO much better. Like I've said, this album was a BIG disappointment. Hopefully, he'll have more to talk about and the delivery will be golden next time. I'll be waiting for his junior effort. Until then, I'll buy a new copy of his "Take It All Away" CD, and spin it out!

First of all...Im over 13. I just dont wanna fool with buying a new cd or anything to write a review.

I agree with Anthony Rupert's review for this cd because this album isnt all that great. In fact I wasnt all out to buy it because the album cover bored me and the singe "Shine on" wasnt all that great either. In other words that song bored me. But then I heard "Photo" and thought well maybe this guys still got some class afterall. I was wrong. "Photo" is actually the only good song on the record! "shine on" "from the start" and "with you gone" are decent but for the most part the album bored me like i should have known it would have. Also I read an interview for this cd that said his next album would be a shock to some people. It was. After hearing this I could barely listen to his old album for weeks. Now Im getting over that. I mean with a popular and very good song like "On the way down" or the classic "true" we just had to have the album! I fell in love with it too. "Echo Park" "Exit to Exit" "Blind Sight" "Illusions" and the title track were great. But now I can barely listen to him. I dont like this new stuff and I dont think that many people do. "Photo" is worth the money...if you download it. Buy that song or get it free or however you download and then pretend this cd wasnt made.

In case my album review title makes little sense, I'll simplify things for you - "You Stand Watching", the title to singer/songwriter/guitarist/ex-heart-throb Ryan Cabrera's sophomore album, has a good side and a bad side. The good side - "You Stand Watching" is a good (if less obvious and less engaging) way of inspiring lovers and belittling haters of his music. The bad - the small percentage of the world that bothered to recognize this album's existence seemed to be watching without listening.

Without a doubt, this album is much better than his Platinum-selling debut album "Take It All Away", using elements of Jazz, Latin & R&B in his usually-vapid brand of radio-friendly Pop-Rock. No, he's not exactly breaking musical boundaries or fully delving into any new genres by any means, because this album remains to essentially be a Pop album. However, Ryan Cabrera has taken a much more mature approach with this album, co-writing and co-producing almost every track on the album - something I can't say for some of his other peers.

Running slightly below 40 minutes at 11 tracks, "You Stand Watching" lacks filler tracks and is infested with much more highlights than his previous outing. "Hit Me With Your Light" is a vulnerable power ballad where Ryan's vulnerable vocals sing about seeking help and guidance from God amidst the darkness over your typical arrangements of powerful guitar riffs and random tinges of percussion; "Photo" employs the use of Ryan Cabrera's soft vocals and smooth piano-violin background music for a song based on the importance of old photos and the longing memories they hold (in order words, reminiscent heartbreak); "Last Night", complete with obligatory guitar strings and a satisfying vocal performance, interestingly tells the story of a man wanting to leave behind his "fast" (a.k.a. lusty / woman-eating / sexual / etc.) side behind with his lady; and on the touching piano ballad (and personal album favourite) "Fall Baby Fall", Ryan soulfully (yes, I said soulfully) croons about encouraging his girl to embrace her tears if they'll make her stronger.

Now then, what about that filler I was talking about? Despite a sweet dash of Latin guitar, "Our Story" comes off as a rather boring ballad about promising commitment if his woman of desire can "roll with it"; his occasional rise over soft singing/whispering results in an occasionally whiney sound on piano-driven ballad/album closer "It's You" (think of it as a less appealing, earlier, half-a**ed alternative to Ne-Yo's "So Sick", since "It's You" also talks about being unable to escape a lost love); and "Shine On", a breezy, radio-friendly acoustic guitar ballad about wishing the best to an ex-lover (in his case, Ashlee Simpson), is ultimately forgettable when you focus more on the sometimes-confusing verses instead of the way this single was craftily marketed.

For those of you who misunderstand what I mean by "Shine On" being craftily marketed, let me break it down for you for a minute. The song is simplistic Pop fluff that'll win over any underage female with Ryan's sweet vocals and sympathetic lyrical content, meaning it's perfect for radio. Then there's the fact that it's sympathetic, which means he might gain some respect from individuals who might discard him as a personality-lacking, crude has-been. THEN there's the fact that the song capitalizing on his crumbled relationship with singer/actress Ashlee Simpson, equalling temporary media exposure and a slight bit of interest for the fan-bases of both artists.

Whether that made sense or not to you is your business, but if you wish to listen to a mellow album (meaning it's extremely ballad-heavy) from the likes of a talented, respectable individual, definitely buy this album! For those of you who are either unfamiliar with his music or simply hate on male Teen Pop for obvious reasons, give this album a listen anyway and judge for yourselves whether this album is good or not. 4 stars!

It's hard to say why I give this album 3 stars and not 4. Ryan's a great young talent who is obviously at times trying to break out of the bubblegum pop genre of music. This album does show off a lot of fine jazzy alternative musicianship, the only problem is, it's underdone to the point it sounds like average pop. Basically, I could have taken this album as a rock album if he'd just turned up the distortion a little bit on some tracks, and spent a little bit more time writing some of the lyrics. His voice has matured a lot since the first album, but the only way he chose to show that was to hit a lot of high notes when it wasn't really necessary. The production is a bit off at times (specifically, the way the violins were recorded in track 11). The album is a nice departure from the normal pop scene, it's pretty upbeat, and has earned plenty of repeat listenings from me. I think if he puts a little more work into his next album it should be a 4 or 5 star release, sadly, You Stand Watching only gets three.

I am 15 years old right now and I bought this CD like within a week right after it came out. I loved the seeing the music video to "Shine On" and loved it on the radio. I didnt think the song was alright before, but the song started to get stuck in my head. So Im like, "I gotta get the CD!". So I went ahead and bought it. Even though there were a few songs I loved the most that is why I rate this a 4 stars and not a 3. Because of the song "Find Your Way" and "From the start". Those are my two favorite songs and those songs are why it made 4 stars on my vote. The other songs arent really that good but "Shine On" and "Fall baby fall" are okay.

I wont say I love this CD he could have done better but he is a talented singer. But I prefer you guys buy the songs on iTunes or Napster or something. Anyway 4 stars becuz hes cool and stuff...I suggest everyone listen to "Find Your Way" ITS SOOOOO AMAZING. ~tony, 15, maryand.

This album is doing good so far. I'm on track 2, which is better than 1, but not by much. : )

Let's Take Our Time ^^^ Pop-Rock, SERIOUSLY at it's most upbeat and catchy. I think this is a mid-tempo, to be honest. 5.25/5

On The Way Down ^^^ Lead single. Shows off decent emotion, and although a tad whiny (which of His songs aren't?!!!:-) ) it's very catchy and like-able. I like the guitars after He says, "You're all I wanted/You're all I needed, now/You're all I wanted/...All I wanted..." Then they kick in. I think that instead of this, Let's Take Our Time, should've been lead single. It's much more upbeat and catchy. It's also happier, which sells more records! 4/5

True ^^^ Your All-Human type of ballad. Cabrera sexily croons His way through this one, and it works wonders and miracles. There is something about the sincerity in His young heart, His soul, mostly, in His vocals...I fell head over heels for this one back in 2005, I believe. I felt like this so much, for a Guy named Justin, who was cool with Me and such, but I think He wanted to "Just Be Friends, and kinda flirt once in a while. That's what I would say; He's a funny flirt, but primarily, first and foremost, Straight, sadly. I would've made Him happy... 5/5

Exit to Exit ^^^ Decent pop-rock goodness. It's not super-standout-able but it's good, nonetheless. 4.25/5

40 Kinds Of Sadness ^^^ The rockiest track so far. It's nice to know that John from The Goo Goo Dolls had part in this album. Because so far, it's flippin' amazing! I remember hearing a bunch of these songs before, and feeling next to nothing, save for when I listened to Exit To Exit a few times. 3.5/5

Echo Park ^^^ Nice falsetto notes. Are they whiny? A tiny bit. But overall, His vocal tricks SO work here! =^) 4/5

Take It All Away ^^^ Not bad. I believe this is another slow ballad. I thought it was pretty good, and his vocal delivery is some of the best on the album and very heartbreaking. 4.5/5

Shame On Me ^^^ Not much to say. It's pretty upbeat and lively, but leaves a bit to be desired. You know the type of song. 3.6/5

She's ^^^ This is by far the most melancholy of all of His songs so far. And I'm obsessed with It! I'm totally waiting for Him to really, REALLY dig deep, and express His sadness and pure, yet true loneliness. Definitely a slow-groove keeper! For sure though, many will skip it because it's "too, too slow". Obviously, I *totally* disagree! 4.3/5

Illusions ^^^ Unexciting and goes NOWHERE. Skip-able. 3.2/5

Blind Sight ^^^ Much better than Illusions. The lyrics are even better! This one was a pleasant blur. 3.6/5

On The Way Down (Acoustic) ^^^ Superior to the original, somehow. 4.25/5

I Know What It Feels Like ^^^ This songs OK. To be honest, it ended but didn't leave an impact on Me much. I have NO idea what it's about, so I'll give it another go, to be FAIR (listening to the 5x superior, Let's Take Our Time, His favorite track on the amazing album, TIAA); Still don't remember much. 3.3/5

Cover Art: B+
Inside Art: ? (Don't own the album...yet.)
Songwriting: B
Vocals: C++
Vocal Emotion: B-
Production: B+

Overall: 4.06 stars.

-----> Dri Dri <-----

this cd is very deep and original. hes songs definily seem to have taken effort to do cuz there NOT like every song you hear on the radio. so i recommend this.

DRAKE BELL is another artist i recommend because he also writes his music like ryan and i think thats very important in the music industry cuz that means the youre really into being a musciian. I DEFINITLY RECCOMMEND DRAKE BELL. and this ryan cd.

Out of all the mass-marketed male pop heart-throbs that arose from the much-despised Pop/Celebrity culture (Jesse McCartney, Nick Lachey, etc.), Ryan Cabrera was the only singer who held my attention from the jump. No, it wasn't because prepubescent females were mindlessly throwing themselves at him - if anything, that's why I hate almost every male Pop singer. It's because this dude actually has talent and a believable personality. He's a singer, songwriter and a guitarist with a personality that's as humorous as it is moronically stupid. Unfortunately, thinking that his Platinum debut album "Take It All Away" would take full advantage of his talents and propel him above the "It Boy" status was a big mistake.

Despite help from Johnny Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls on the production boards, much of this album comes off as bland, predictable, unambitious, unbelievably fake and boringly characterless. To make things worse, there's no diversity in the subject matter or the actual sound of the songs. Almost everything is a combination of rushed Rock guitar riffs, deliberately fake (and sometimes cheesy) lyrics and (mostly) emotionless vocals.

Thankfully, there are highlights. Lead single "On The Way Down" is unquestionably the album's best track - a catchy Pop-Rock guitar ballad where Ryan's sense of joy and gratitude towards his special girl (at the time, Ashlee Simpson) is portrayed through heartfelt vocals and strongly honest lyrics. "True" is an acoustic guitar ballad that doesn't take any risks, but its mellow vibe & Ryan's light, mesmerizing vocals allow the song to stand out from the rest of the album's tracks. "Exit To Exit" is your typical heartbreak ballad, and "Illusions" stands out because it sounds loving and sentimental at the same time with its lyrical content.

Unfortunately, everything else on this album falters. Third single "40 Kinds Of Sadness" is brought down by a disastrously lacklustre hook; The title track shows promise with its theme of knowing that materialism doesn't define and won't change his true self, but claiming to "follow the sound of your heart" comes off as so cheesy and fake; and the piano-guitar ballad "Lets Take Our Time" & the simple guitar ballad "Shame On Me" are coated with lustful which, instead of breaking down Ryan Cabrera's good-boy image, come off as unrealistic, somewhat-sleazy and graphically disturbing. As much as I enjoy "Echo Park", the song can hardly hold on to my attention long enough for me to understand what it's really about.

I wish I could say that this album was great, but I know that it wasn't. If you're into the more bland type of Pop music that generally rules over today's radios, be my guest and grab a copy of this. Otherwise, skip it. Grab his sophomore effort "You Stand Watching" and try your luck with that album, because I know for a fact that it's better than this. 2 stars!

This is the best album known to speak, hear, say, and whatnot to be heard...my point is it's a fantasco album and Ryan is my...OMG, he is amazing! I love him more than.......any guy in the world, k? I love this CD!

I loved this album. His voice and the way he plays the guitar is so great. My favorite tracks were "Let's Take Our Time", "On the Way Down", "True", and "40 Kinds of Sadness". I think he has a great future even if Ashlee is not by his side through out this career.

Ryan is pretty talented; decent vocals, good lyrics and probably an even better Man. He is one of my favorite celebrities cause He's down to earth, very musical, hot as hell and has impeccable eyes.

This song is great; it's upbeat, guitar-driven and has decent, relate-able lyrics. It's when You're totally down on Your luck and them BAM! Some special Lady or Guy, comes along and helps You see things in a lighter much better view. You're finally in Love and Life is so much less hassle-free and painful.

Cover Art: A+
Songwriting: B+
Vocals: C-
Vocal Emotion: B-
Vocal Acrobatics: F+
Production: A-
Length: D+

4 stars.

Overall: B-

I am actually a hard corps type music gal, but I had heard his "On the Way Down" song on one of the pop staions and actually related to the lyrics. I looked his other songs up on the internet, and he wasn't the "teeny bopper" typical music I was expecting. It was actually pretty f*ckin' good. I recommend this cd to anyone who likes one of his songs. It's much like the rest and pretty dang good.

I like totally am in LOVE with this song. Ryan Cabrera is awesome and he is like so totally hott and I request buying his album, it rox my sox. Listen to this song, it is AWESOME!!!

I saw Ryan perform at a private concert at the school I work which was won from Z100. For an opening number, Ryan should have been the main number with Ashley Simpson opening rather than the opposite. Ryan is a true musician both in voice and guitar. Hopefully he will become one of the voices we will remember of this century rather than just as a one time wonder.

'On the way down' is awesome + very well produced. Ryan has a gorgeous voice and the lyrics are well written. I can't help comparing this song to Ashlee Simpson's 'Pieces of me' which is kinda dull (If Geffen thought that was the best song on the C.D just imagine how bad Ashlee's album is!)