Genre: Folk/Acoustic/Americana, Hip-Hop/Rap, Pop/Rock
For fans of: Jack Johnson, Sugar Ray, Jason Mraz, dc Talk, Beck
Label: Gotee Records

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"SSome describe the music as acoustic hip-hop and others simply as pop," says new Gotee artist Paul Wright. "Personally, I call it new generation singer-songwriter."

Paul Wright's debut LP, Fly Away, redefines the singer-songwriter image by demonstrating how creative and revolutionary one can be with this classical musical form. The Oregon native pens gifted narratives, poetic analogies, and fun simple stories in a style empowered by hip-hop and alternative rock touches. Forgive the sin of comparison, but imagine Jack Johnson or John Mayor distilling such influences as A Tribe Called Quest, Sublime, and De La Soul. Wright's music is nothing less than a compelling fusion of progressive pop, energized rock, and the pure essence of early hip-hop expression.

"I'm a singer-songwriter who writes pop songs on the acoustic guitar, but I'm also heavily influenced by so many other styles," says Wright, who co-produced the album with Christopher Stevens. "I listen to hip-hop, reggae, alternative rock, old school jazz, and the rest, and it's all absorbed into my music."

For Wright, the influences blend together so effortlessly that the songs seem as natural as they are uniquely innovative. For example, the song "Brighter" delivers pronounced acoustic melodies over a mix of funk, folk, and urban beats all highlighted by a gospel-style post-chorus bridge. Fly Away also taps into sun 'n' fun energy with the quirky lyrics and surf-centered style of "South Beach" and "Flip-Flops", while lead single "Your Love Never Changes" (a title inspired by the Brennan Manning book Ragamuffin Gospel) builds and blends tempos anchored together by an explosive chorus.

For all the good time vibes the album emits, Wright also proves himself a deft lyricist who can add layers of meaning to songs steeped in ear candy. The title track, for example, uses a powerful analogy from Bob George's book Complete in Christ as a paradigm through which a real life dysfunctional relationship is viewed.

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