Nashville native Cary Brothers is breaking onto the 2007 summer music scene with an earnest, if somewhat day dreamy, full-length debut. Fans and critics alike have been waiting patiently for the new release, which includes a smattering of previously recorded material from Brothers' independent releases "All The Rage" (2004) and "Waiting For You" (2005).

At 33, Brothers has already received mass acclaim (and legions of fans) despite having only two EP's under his belt before now. Having met indie film sensation Zach Braff in college and subsequently moving to L.A., Cary met with huge success in 2004 when his torch song "Blue Eyes" was prominently featured on the Grammy award-winning soundtrack to Braff's hit film Garden State.

When Brothers manages to avoid the lyrical trappings of melodramatic late night introspection, "Who You Are" has all the refreshing presence of an artist clearly in his element and ready to reinvent his Garden State golden boy status. At first glance, Cary's signature song "Blue Eyes" appears to have missed the cut entirely, but trust me when I say it's there; though, even hidden, it stands in stark contrast with the rest of the album.

As with any winning song, the appeal has much more to do with the delivery than the content. Armed with a Bono-esque power voice, guitar and piano rich tunes such as "Ride," "The Glass Parade" and "If You Were Here" have a downright anthemic quality and far outshine Cary's quiet mopers, which are quickly forgotten.

Having recently watched the man silence a room full of Brandi Carlile fans (two nights in a row as her opening act in Portland) with little more than an acoustic guitar and light saber wielding cellist, there is a whispered intensity in his performances reminiscent of Ray LaMontagne. Opening acts are rarely afforded the rapt attention he received those two excruciatingly hot nights at The Aladdin. And if that silence is any indication of how the rest of the music world will react, Cary Brothers is destined to be anything other than "just a voice inside your head."

Learn more about this author, Rhae Lindsey.
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