Do You Have Something to Say?

iTunes Review

The title of Joel Willoughby’s 2008 debut album is more than an idle question — this Canadian singer/songwriter definitely has a good deal to express. Willoughby fills his songs with the sort of mopey bounce that animates the work of Aimee Mann and Elliott Smith. Tracks like “Waiting for the Sky to Fall,” “Freeze Frame,” and “The Girl With Golden Eyes” are seductive in their sadness, thanks to Willoughby’s clear-toned vocals and his feel for poignant melodies. A modern Britpop element creeps into the music as well, heard in the warm sheen applied to “Let Go While You Still Can.” Though the mood here is frequently wistful, a quietly intense sort of discontent surfaces on “Dead End Town” and “Don’t Think Twice.” Jonathan Anderson’s production allows Willoughby room to unleash some stinging electric guitar lines amidst the generally sparse arrangements. Do You Have Something to Say? is an album of integrity and charm, the work of an artist speaking from the heart.