.."Russell knows how to write pop-rock morsels. The songs are well written, likeable, and could easily be transformed into something that radio stations would play if Russell were actually famous or starred in a Disney show on cable. That’s not to say that Russell couldn’t find himself a player in the crowded singer-songwriter/adult alternative genre."

"Not only did Russell write all his own music, sing all of the songs, but he also plays every instrument on the record. That is a major feat considering this is not a singer-songwriter who confines his songs to a mere one guitar and one vocal track. Sure, Russell strips down the production to that formula on “All I’ll Ever Have,” a simple yet catchy acoustic number. Nope, Russell prefers to work with high quality production numbers such as the disc’s opening rocker “The Things I’ve Done” or the marvelously chipper “I’ll Never Be.” The latter song alone has merited repeated listens. That is not an easy feat considering how much of a musical curmudgeon I’ve turned into. Other highlights include “Haunting You” and “A Thousand Turns,” both of which could easily be Top 40 gems if only someone already famous, say a Ryan Cabrera or the sold-out Howie Day, sang the tune."

"..Russell knows how to write some great songs and his voice is perfect on a few (“I’ll Never Be” is an example of that perfection) but the voice doesn’t always translate well.."

"..I personally think his forte could be in production and songwriting. In fact, I would venture a guess that if Russell could get his hands on the stack of CDs that I will never review because they just flat out suck, I bet his musicianship and his keen musical ear could elevate those artists who can’t write good songs to a state of utter perfection..."

Starting out in Australia at a young age of five Russell Stafford became involved in music, but by the age of nineteen and after he moved to America he decided to put his music on hold for a career in TV production. Luckily for music fans, he recently established himself back to the music.

Stafford is a multi-influenced artist. His music will grab a hold of you and will not let go, similar to John Mayer or Switchfoot or even Purple Flower. The song that fancies the ears most is ‘The Things I’ve Done’. With a compelling raw-edged melody, Stafford vocal thrashes the chords like a tiger against the drums and lead guitars. Just when you think it can’t get any more jagged, he takes it a bit further with the drums/guitars and grinds it into the ground ‘yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah…’ The ending will leave you breathless.

Stafford's new album is slated for a May 2005 release. Look forward to being rocked out of your mind when you get this album, I know I will be.

5/5