The Dreamer sets out to prove that the uproar over Tamyra Gray's too-early American Idol dismissal was justified, and mostly it succeeds. Several of these 13 tracks sound radio-ready--especially the sultry "Legend" and the... more » show-offy, booty-shaking opener "Star"--while others simply underscore what millions of armchair talent scouts already know: even saddled with an ill-fitting genre, like the cliche-studded rocker "Faces," Tamyra will sing her way out of it. The record is in no way perfect--its surf through the musical-styles spectrum leaves listeners with the impression they're the subjects of an at-home experiment, albeit a pleasant one, and its lyrics could use a hearty shakedown from the trite police--but all told Tamyra nails a neat trick here, and that is to exalt the degree to which all ex-Idol hopefuls ought to be taken seriously. She pulls up the pack by dint of pure vocals and a poured-dry heart, and for that even Simon should shower her with props. --Tammy La Gorce« less
The Dreamer sets out to prove that the uproar over Tamyra Gray's too-early American Idol dismissal was justified, and mostly it succeeds. Several of these 13 tracks sound radio-ready--especially the sultry "Legend" and the show-offy, booty-shaking opener "Star"--while others simply underscore what millions of armchair talent scouts already know: even saddled with an ill-fitting genre, like the cliche-studded rocker "Faces," Tamyra will sing her way out of it. The record is in no way perfect--its surf through the musical-styles spectrum leaves listeners with the impression they're the subjects of an at-home experiment, albeit a pleasant one, and its lyrics could use a hearty shakedown from the trite police--but all told Tamyra nails a neat trick here, and that is to exalt the degree to which all ex-Idol hopefuls ought to be taken seriously. She pulls up the pack by dint of pure vocals and a poured-dry heart, and for that even Simon should shower her with props. --Tammy La Gorce
Mr. Stanley M. Schmidt | Rockford, IL | 05/26/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"It's a bit sad that this album was not promoted more by 19 Entertainment - yep, that's the American Idol sponsor/organization. Sure, they had her sing on American Idol twice, but as for a "real" advertising blitz - nothing. They sure took the cheap way out, which bugs me a little. With that said...I'm also a little annoyed by some of the reviewers on Amazon.com. They are heavily and unfairly critiquing the songwriting on this album. Well, if they had taken ONE MINUTE to read the liner notes, they would have seen Tamyra was the primary songwriter for the entire album! This is her first voyage into songwriting for an album, so it's not going to be PERFECT...BUT, this album does have a veteran flavor that most debuts don't. I give you two thumbs up Tamyra, for your songwriting.As for the vocals, you can't get much better. Every song is a quality performance, filled with emotion and style. The actual music component is very good, as well. The melodies are fresh, enough key changes for hard-to-please listener and high replayability factor.My favs on the album are: Raindrops Will Fall (sure to be a Top 10 hit), Legend, The Only Thing, Don't Stop, Good Ol' Days and Like A Child.Bottom Line: This is couple steps above your typical American Idol fodder. Maybe even three steps! Bravo Tamyra!"
It's all about the voice.
J. Martin | Woodside, NY | 06/24/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The debut album from Tamyra Gray is a nice collection of pop and classic r&b. It's a fine effort for a debut album. It perfectly showcases her powerful, if sometimes forced, voice. Should Tamyra have won American Idol? No she shouldn't have, but she certainly should have been the one to battle it out with Kelly. The songs are perfectly crafted, always letting Tamyra be the star of the song, and not the production. However, a few songs aren't that memorable. I've listened to the album at least a dozen times and I can only recall 4 songs. The first being the opening track Star. It's a great way to open the cd, it's got a catchy chorus and a fun beat. Raindrops will Fall is stunning. It's probably one of the best power ballads in years. Faces, has a rock edge reminiscent of her duet You Thought Wrong with Kelly Clarkson. Her vocals are outstanding. Finally, the last song God Bless the Dreamer is an amazing ballad backed with a gosepl choir, and Tamyra shines hitting high note after high note and it's a perfect way to the end the cd. Other than that, the rest of the album is nice to listen to when you need something in the background."
Support This Talented Artist
Donna Reynolds | Syracuse, NY United States | 05/30/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I almost never give a CD 5 Stars, but Tamyra's "The Dreamer" is outstanding. There is simply nothing about it that I don't like! From start to finish, this talented young woman takes you on a musical journey that touches on a variety of themes and genres. She can rock, she can pop and she can groove. Tamyra has a beautiful voice and the fact that she had a hand in writing all but one song in this remarkable collection makes the music even more compelling. She wrote for her voice and everything works for her. Tamyra has persevered and fought to get this released. She is getting virtually no support from 19 Recordings and it is up to the people who believe in her and who love this CD to help promote it. Buy it, don't burn it. I want to hear more from her."
Second awesome debut CD from the show...
Daniel Bracco | Thousand Oaks, CA United States | 05/26/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"...the other being Kelly Clarkson. The two were thought to be in the finale to battle it out between the two with, obviously, the best voices. In the CD world...it's hard to compare. Kelly focused more on showing her voice with beautiful, easy songs, leaning toward the ballads. Tamyra takes a more up-beat, emotional approach, and it usually works. While I don't believe debut albums are perfect (as there is certainly room to grow), it's a wonderful start. I would have liked to hear a ballad or two, to show off the magical voice she has, but maybe next time. The tracks...1. "Star"- 3/5: The lyrics are one of the weakest on the CD--a bit cheesy and repetitive. But the beat is really fun, and her voice fits the song well, and it's pretty catchy.2. "The Only Thing"- 3.5/5: A bit repetitive, but her vocals in the background are phenomenal. Very Tamyra...her range is seemingly endless. Easy-going song to listen to.3. "Legend"- 4.5/5: I really like this one...it's a different style than any other song on the CD. The lyrics are good, and her vocals are astounding.4. "Raindrops Will Fall"-5/5: Just such an amazing song. This power-ballad is what she's all about, vocally. Great background music, too. 5. "Ha Ha" 3.5/5: This song I think is a bit of a risk. Her vocal delivery is unlike anything we've heard from her, either in the past or on this CD. It's interesting, and she holds back on the vocals until a bit at the end, so it relys on the lyrics...and they deliver. Not sure how I feel about it yet, but I think it's the kind that will grow on me...6. "17" 4/5: A very mellow song that shows she can sing a more relaxed song without being boring. Good lyrics, and her voice sounds great. Just nice to listen to.7. "Don't Stop (Keep It Coming)" 4.5/5: Really fun song. Up-beat and made for clubs. Her voice is great, but it's the beat that makes the song so great. Lots of attitude and sounds like she had a blast singing it...the feeling is mutual listening to it.8. "U've Only Got One" 5/5: A song that shows her skills as a song-writer (which can still be improved on with experience). It's a deeper song and it encorporates a message with great music perfectly.9. "Faces" 5/5: Another great song in every respect. She sounds awesome, the music and lyrics complement her greatness well, too. It's a song that's just great to listen to when frustrated...or really any mood. But she shows some versatility here...she could probably manage some rock and roll.10. "Like A Child" 4/5: Her voice is nothing but beautiful here. Not my favorite lyrically, because it's more religious based. But she's stuck to her beliefs on that, without forcing it in any way.11. "Yesterday/Today" 3/5: The weakest song on the album, for me. That rating is more in comparison to the others than the actual quality of the song. It's more laid-back and relaxed, but not done as well as "17."12. "Good Ol' Days" 3.5/5: A bit different than some of her other songs. Nice to listen to, her voice is fun and excellent here. Maybe not as powerful as others, but still a worthy track.13. "God Bless The Dreamer" 5/5: While I'm not a church person, and don't necessarily care for that style of music, this rendition is fabulous. Her voice is amazing, energized, and pure here, and her range is phenomenal. It's a different kind of song for her, and it's awesome.What a great start for her. I wish her the best, and hope she has the long career she's more than capable of."
Proof
Worley | New York | 07/04/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Before I get to my review of this phenominal CD, I would simply like to say that this area is for critiquing Tamayra's CD. This is not the place to attack people that have very little to do with Tamayra-I speak of the barrage of insults about Fantasia Borrino. People are entitled to their own opinion. Anyway, this CD is simply phenominal and I highly recommend it. It is proof that Tamayra's departure from American Idol was indeed premature."