Paul Wright

Fly Away
Gotee Records

Paul Wright arrives at a time when music could stand an infusion of talented male solo artists. And he has the goods to lead a whole pack of them. His debut full-length pulls together alt-rock and hip-hop into a musical gumbo that stays fresh for all 13 tracks. One minute he’s evoking melancholy, postmodern British rockers (“Crashing Down”), only to veer into cool jazz (“Fly Away”) and then zigzag into street-level rap (“Flip-Flops”).

About the only constant is Wright’s acoustic guitar and plaintive voice, a combination you’d imagine could happen if Dave Matthews had as much soul as Seal. And he also has a knack for big hooks, such as the chorus to “Brighter,” which features a gospel-choir breakdown.

Occasionally, Wright wears his influences too close to the surface, as on the very dc talk-ish “You’re Beautiful.” But it’s easily overlooked considering his creative touches on the rest of the disc. And when he quiets down for the bittersweet “Where’s Daddy?” about yearning for a father’s love, it becomes apparent that Wright possesses a singular voice worthy of attention.