Student album debut gives taste of local ‘rock-pop’ flavor

Nathaniel Baker, the first recording artist to be signed to JMU’s own label, 80 One Records, has released his debut album, "Between the Lines." Baker, armed with a guitar and a piano, offers listeners 10 tracks of acoustic pop-rock straight from the Valley.

The CD opens with an upbeat sing-along track called "Carousel." With its catchy guitar riffs and infectious vocals, this song has undeniable hit quality. After listening further, one will realize that this is true of most tracks on the CD. With the exception of two instrumental piano tracks — cleverly named "Untitled" and "Untitled 2" — every song on the CD sounds like it will be the next thing to hit the pop charts.

This hit quality, however, occasionally translates to an unoriginal sound. The jazzy finger picking in "Run and Hide" sounds like a riff that didn’t make it to the latest John Mayer album, and his voice is also reminiscent of current chart-topping singers.

However, what his guitar playing lacks in originality, he makes up for in technical talent. His complex chords and rhythms make it evident that he is an experienced and trained musician. According to Baker, he has been playing the piano since he was four years old and picked up the guitar shortly thereafter.

The same contrast is also true of his vocal performance. While he may not be breaking new ground with his voice, he clearly is a singer of enormous talent. This talent also has helped to earn him a spot in JMU a capella group Exit 245, with which he continues to perform.

"Between the Lines" will no doubt be a hit with the ladies, and Baker is clearly the next heartthrob/singer/songwriter for the local scene. With lyrics like "I want to fly and never come down/and live my life and have friends around," Baker lyrics will surely decorate AIM profiles for at least a semester.

This definitely is an impressive release, considering Baker is just 19 years old and only started recording in the summer of 2003. "Between the Lines" was recorded at JMU.

The CD is available at Plan 9 Music, Barnes & Noble and the JMU Bookstore. For those who are interested in watching a live performance, Baker will be playing at the College of William & Mary on March 18 and at the JMUbilee on Godwin Field March 19.

This and other information can be found at www.nathaniel-baker.com.