Being a singer/songwriter today and trying to stand out from the pack is not an easy task. You have to be damn good, and you have to be damn good in the first 30 seconds to hook the listener in. Long Island’s Mikey Wax will hook you in with his debut, Change Again, and he’ll keep you there with melodic stuff that is also a nice mix of uplifting pop/rock and darker, slower-tempo fare. Wax has a breezy way about his songs, which have a modern yet classic feel (think Josh Rouse or Ari Hest) and his slick falsetto is the perfect vehicle to deliver that material. The falsetto is also overused, but if the songs are this good on a debut, it’s easier to let those things slide. And while tracks like “Slow Motion” and “Yes” are driving, mid-tempo hooky songs, Wax is at his brooding best on the more somber material such as “Love Light (Triad)” or “Cedars Bay.” (LABEL: self-released)

Mikey Wax MySpace Page