About.com Rating



Bottom Line:

This is a fun album that is packed with some powerful lyrics. It is sure to create some major waves on the country scene. Josh Gracin has a great outlook on life that shines through in his music. This is one that I'd definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys the current country sound.

Josh Gracin first hit the radar of country music fans when he appeared on the second season of American Idol.


The "Singing Marine" was a fast favorite and he became the first performer to bring the country sound to the pop based program. While he was still on active duty, Gracin earned a recording contract from Disney's Lyric Street Records label. He put together his first album, which is steadily climbing towards platinum status, while flying in and out of Nashville around his military schedule.

He did something very right, as he was one of only three new male artists in 2004 to release an album that was certified Gold. He was also the only new male artist to have three consecutive top 5 singles from his debut album. He quickly became known as a high energy performer who likes to make his audience feel as much a part of his shows as possible. While his music is a powerful and driving force on an instrumental level; the lyrics are also very powerful on a vocal level. He is careful to choose songs that reflect his strong values and principles. They offer stories that allow the listener to learn a little more about who Gracin is on a personal level.

With his second album, Gracin was able to devote his full attention to choosing the material and being in the studio recording. He also stretched his wings a little as a writer. His current single and title track, "We Weren't Crazy," was co-written by Gracin, Tony Lopacinski and Bobby Pinson.

Along with the title song, this 11 track album has some very strong songs to keep the listener wanting to hear more. I couldn't find a bad song in the bunch. I really liked "Invisible." He sometimes wishes he was invisible so he could spend time falling in love all over again with her when she didn’t know he was there watching the cute little things she did. It's just a song that makes you get a goofy grin at the thought of someone loving you that much.

"Let Me Fall" and "I Don't Want to Live" are both slower songs about love that has gone wrong. One of my favorites on the album is "Favorite State of Mind." It is upbeat and lyrically fun. He names several states and what they are associated with then tells her that she's his favorite state of mind.

"Telluride" is a song about meeting and falling in love with the beautiful Rocky Mountain city of Telluride as the backdrop.

Gracin has developed a huge fan base because of his high energy shows that give people the entertainment they crave. He has a voice that makes people sit up and take notice and keep coming back to hear more. This album is sure to be a huge success and ensure that Gracin is around for years to come.

Release date: April 1, 2008 - Lyric Street Records

Song List:

1. Found
2. We Weren't Crazy
3. Invisible
4. Let Me Fall
5. I Don't Want to Live
6. Favorite State of Mind
7. Telluride
8. I Keep Coming Back
9. Sweet September
10. Livin' It Up
11. Unbelievable (Ann Marie)