Five years separate
Gavin DeGraw's 2003 debut,
Chariot, and its eponymous follow-up.
Gavin DeGraw exists in a world where he's ubiquitous, played constantly in malls, movie theaters, TV shows, and American Idol, where his "I Don't Want to Be" was a virtual standard.
Gavin DeGraw pretty much offers more of the same as
Chariot, polishing up the sound, turning it into something bigger and slicker, but not changing his somewhat rootsy, somewhat soulful pop a whit. Unlike
Maroon 5, he doesn't chase after modern trends in either R&B or pop -- he sticks with what he knows. Anybody who enjoyed
Chariot will probably like this. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide