UPDATE: Lyndsey Parker heard 4 songs from Live it Up today, the three USA Today-reviewed tunes, and another song called “Dear Isabelle”, co-written by Lee, Toby Gad and Lindy Robbins. The track was produced by Gad. Read her critiques of all 4 songs HERE. Billboard also has a summary HERE. The HitFix summary is HERE.
After the jump, I bulleted all 4 songs with producer/writer credits and some of Lyndsey’s thoughts.
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Brian Mansfield of USA Today reported on a colleague, Elysa Gardner, who got to hear a few of Lee DeWyze’s new songs this week. She describes “Live It Up” as being in the “Jack Johnson/Jason Mraz vein.”
Lee co-wrote the lead single “Live it Up” with Toby Gad (Beyonce’s “If I Were A Boy”, Fegie’s “Big Girls Don’t Cry”) and Lindy Robbins who has worked with Kris Allen and Jordin Sparks.
There’s also a song called “Me & My Jealousy”–Gardner described as “piano laced” and “surging”–that Lee co-wrote with John Shanks (Kelly Clarkson, Sheryl Crow) and Zac Maloy (Carrie Underwood, David Cook).
Other tracks will include the midtempo and “similarly urgent” “Beautiful Like You” co-written by Thomas “Tawgs” Salter (Canadian producer who has worked with Josh Groban and Lights) and Mark Stochanasky
Shirley Halperin of the Los Angeles Times also got to hear some of Lee’s songs. She tweeted, “Heard some new @LeeDeWyze music today – good stuff!…My full @LeeDeWyze review will come in a cpl weeks, but I loved that it sounded like him, with noble aspirations: coldplay, jason mraz…”
Lee was constantly called a “rocker” by the judges during the American Idol competition. But anyone who has listened to his pre-Idol music knows he’s got more of an indie rock vibe, with elements of folk.. The comparisons to Jack Johnson and Jason Mraz are a good sign that Lee has been able to stay true to the artist he brought to Idol.
Four new Lee DeWyze songs – Credits and additional info
- “Live It Up” – Producer: Toby Gad. Writers: Lee DeWyze, Toby Gad, Lindy Robbins (Lindsey compared to Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz and Howie Day with a tiny bit of alt country flair.) Billboard says the song has an “inspirational message” similar to Idol coronation singles.
- “Beautiful Like You” – Producer: Chris DeStefano. Songwriters: Tawgs Salter and Mark Stochansky – (Lyndsey calls it a beautiful and dreamy piano ballad, reminiscent of Snow Patrol, One Republic and Five for Fighting.) Billboard says fans of David Cook and Daughtry should love this song. HitFix says there’s a “wistfulness as he is waiting for his love to come around.”
- “Me & My Jealousy” Producer: John Shanks. Songwriters: Lee DeWyze, John Shanks, Zac Maloy – Lyndsey says this chiming, yearning breakup ballad sounds like a single. She calls it “Total Vh1 material”. Bit of sample lyric “They tell me I should just move on/easier said than done/the only thing keeping me company/is me and my jealousy.”
- “Dear Isabelle” – Producer: Toby Gad. Songwriters – Lee DeWyze, Toby Gad and Lindy Robbins. – Lyndsey’s favorite of the 4–a “cute acoustic ditty” like Owl City unplugged. Slightly reminiscent of the Plain White T’s “Hey There Delilah”. Billboard describes it as “stripped down and personal”. HitFix says it’s “a bittersweet tale about losing a love because of your own doing.”
