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Written by Laura Hamlett Thursday, 27 November 2014 23:43

This album is 10 songs of vibrant, shimmering pop, with Krause’s many talents on full display.

 

 

 

How is it that this kid isn’t signed yet? Holding On to Love is the Nashville-based singer-songwriter’s self-released debut offering, and it’s a gem. This is dreamy pop music accented by mild electronic undertones, the kind that makes you want to roll down the windows, turn up the volume, and know that all is right in the world, at least for 45 minutes.

Holding On to Love is 10 songs of vibrant, shimmering pop, with Krause’s many talents on full display. Leadoff track “All My Heart” lets you know you’re in for a treat, its easygoing sound entirely addictive. “Feelin Kinda Free” reaches higher into the sky, showcasing Krause’s ever-so-slightly scratchy vocals, the perfect sound for a DIY artist from Music City. “Honey, Fire” is earnest and heartfelt, opening with the words “On summer nights we never left/ truth is, you’re still on my breath.” It’s hard to find a new way to say “I’m still thinking about you,” but here Krause has done it, later recalling her “honey lips and fire skin.”

“Recreational” has that slow jam feel to it, accented by mellow electronic elements and Krause’s haunting vocals. “So Pretty I Could Lose My Mind” and “Only You” create small fires as they progress, their embers never fully going out.

“Are you gonna miss calling me baby?/ Aren’t you gonna miss saying my name?” Krause asks on “Aren’t You Gonna Miss,” a sweet-sounding breakup song. Also falling under the “we’re not in love anymore” umbrella are Drunk on the Heartache,” with its purposeful strumming, and “Don’t Want to Lose You,” which sounds as if he may already have. As an added treat, the shimmering “Racing in Your Heart” is all instrumental, made up of intertwining keys, strings, bells, and sounds.

There are so many things to like about this album that it’s hard to pinpoint just one, so I’ll leave you with this: If you like music, if you like strings and guitars and pianos, if you like a voice that is smooth and slightly yearning, and if you like music that appears to your mellow side, head to iTunes now and buy this album. Let’s send a message to the labels: Aaron Krause is the real thing. A | Laura Hamlett