Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

If you like Elliott Smith, chances are that you will enjoy Kelley Stoltz. With similar vocal and musical qualities, both Smith and Stoltz have similar music except that the tracks on Stoltz’s seventh album, Circular Sounds, are much more upbeat than anything produced by Smith. This is because Stoltz experiments with several different styles on this album. His influences range not only from indie-legend Elliott Smith but to Bob Dylan, George Harrison, and Brian Wilson – just to name a small handful.

Stoltz, like many music enthusiasts, works in a music store, and it is no wonder that his music is so unique; he collaborates many styles and genres of music on this album to create his own totally unique sound. The album begins with the chill track, Everything Begins and then slides into Tintinnabulation, which has not only a unique title but a unique, yet true Stoltz, sound. The third track, The Birmingham Eccentric is an awesome driving song that will make you feel like it is actually spring right now. He repeats the question: “Are you gonna be hip?/ Are you giving me lip?” And while the lyrics may not be anything special, the song has a great, thrusting beat that will make you want to dance in either the driver or passenger seat of yours (or someone else’s) car.

The next two songs, Gardenia and Mother Nature are slower ballads, which are more similar to the style of the aforementioned Elliott Smith. The sixth track, To Speak to the Girl always makes me laugh, however, because I cannot determine the influence of the sound. It is almost like rock-country with twangy guitars and harmonicas. You’ll want to dance to this tune whether by shaking your booty or line-dancing in a crowd. It’s a toss-up. But you can do either with this tune. Put My Troubles to Sleep honestly almost put me to sleep, but Stoltz recovers from the slower indie-type ballads with Morning Sun, a song about waking up with a terrible hangover on a Monday morning after a great night of partying.

Kelley Stoltz does an admirable job with this album. His lyrics are slightly lacking, but his music is incredible as it is entirely unique to his own style. If he continues to produce such impressive songs and continues to work on the lyrics, he definitely has the potential to be the next indie-rock poster boy.