This CD was an impulse buy - without hearing any songs from it (no, not even "On the Way Down" - it gets no radio play here), I decided to pick it up. I don't know why, but I'm really glad I did. TAKE IT ALL AWAY is a fantastic CD that's been in my Discman for weeks straight, and Ryan Cabrera is my favorite new artist.

Favorite tracks are:

-On the Way Down - The first single off the CD. It's a really nice song to just kind of...chill to. It shows off Ryan's great guitar playing and vocal ability.

-True - This is my absolute favorite song on TAKE IT ALL AWAY. With a pretty acoustic guitar part, beautiful lyrics, and a catchy tune, this song is great. I think everyone can relate to it, which is a plus.

-Exit to Exit - At first I didn't like this song...something about it really bothered me. But it grows on you fast, and it's got some really great lyrics ("Could it be the taste was bittersweet, when it all comes down to your defeat, so high...so low").

- Take it All Away - The title track of the CD. It's another slower song, and it is, once again, really pretty. The ballads on this CD really show off the fact that this kid can sing.

All the songs on TAKE IT ALL AWAY are great, with the exception of the just "okay" track Let's Take Our Time. I'd love to see this guy perform live, because he seems to be an amazing musician.

Overall grade - A+

Well, the CD "Take It All Away" is much more guitar driven than I had anticipated, as many will agree with me. On first listen, you will like it alot, second listen, love it, and from then on it grows on you more and more.

LETS TAKE OUR TIME 5/10... stupid stupid song. sounds like JC Chasez which is the worst thing you can sound like. yes, thing.

ON THE WAY DOWN 10/10... great lyrics, catchy melodies

TRUE 9/10... great ballad about a girl not liking/loving you back

EXIT TO EXIT 10/10... catchy, fun, great song

40 KINDS OF SADNESS 9/10... awesome but seems to be easily forgotten.

ECHO PARK 10/10... awesome, New York feel to it.

TAKE IT ALL AWAY 10/10... Ryan wrote this on the toilet and its a great song, and a great title for the album.

SHAME ON ME 8/10... I dont like this AS MUCH merely because of the Santana guitars

SHE'S 50/10... dark, slow, painful song that is one of the most beautiful songs I've heard in a while. wonderful. if its not a single, I'd be very suprised.

ILLUSIONS 9/10... catchy.

BLIND SIGHT 10/10... amazing end to the album, saxaphones add emotion and Ryans vocals soar and make you wanna start the album over again, such as I did.

Kickass debut from Ryan Cabrera, amazing musicianship, wonderful songwriting. A great influence for young musicians.

After his hit "On the Way Down" I'd heard on the radio for some time, I figured to give his CD a try. Not disappointed yet! His hit tracks would have to be 2: On the Way Down, 4: Exit to Exit, 5: 40 Kinds of Sadness, 6: Echo Park, 8: Shame on Me, 10: Illusions...Track 12 doesn't sound as good in straight acoustic, so just stick with #2 version...#3 & #9 are slower songs of his, and rather sappy. There are no disagreements for believers out there too...under "Special Thanks" he thanks Jesus, and tracks #7 and #10 are rather spiritually based...

Overall, an improvement to the other young artists out there right now, with great aspects for all different music lovers. He's a sweetie & hottie 2...

Give him a chance on ur next visit to the CD section...

I bought this album after listening to some of the sample music from Amazon here. Guitar music interest me because I'm trying to learn how to play.

I was amazed that the online samples didn't do the CD any justice. What I found was a talented and creative artiste who could write as well as he could sing and play! Ryan's going to go a long way for sure!

My favorite song is True, which had alot of meaning for me. The rest of the songs were just bonus after bonus of creativity in terms of rhythms and sound. I just loved every song!

We need more people like this in the music industry to give us something from the heart and to inspire us.

I anxiously look forward to your next album Ryan!

Ryan Cabrera seems to have amassed an impressive amount of popularity over the course of a short period of time. You know what this means? People are automatically going to jump to conclusions about this guy's talent, which is incredibly exaggerated. Because the media and record label are doing such a great job in drumming up publicity for this guy, people are going to think that Ryan Cabrera is the greatest thing since sliced bread, and that this album is a thoughtful and profound recording.

The reason why I am writing this review is to help the people in the aforementioned category save their money. Don't buy into the hype. Cabrera received a recording contract for two reasons - his smoldering soap-opera star good looks and because he co-starred on The Ashlee Simpson Show as "The Boyfriend". Which, of course, is of little relevance whatsoever, since neither have any bearing on the product in question, that being Cabrera's latest CD, Take It All Away.

This album is perfect for people who find someone like John Mayer "too thought provoking" or "too edgy", which gives you some insight on how this album sounds - if you are prone to attacks of narcolepsy, I highly suggest you steer clear of this album. As far as the songs are concerned, they're pure product - the angst-lite of "On The Way Down" makes it perfect for one of those WB melodramas filled with brooding teenagers, while listening to treacly ballads like "True" and "She's" will probably make you sick to your stomach unless you are 13 and female. Worse yet, these songs sound like they could have been rejects from Max Martin - the insipid subject matter and bland arrangements would have lended themselves very well to a group like 'N Sync or 98 Degrees. It's quite a letdown from what the media will have you believe -he's no Lennon or McCartney, that's for sure, but he even manages to make the guys in Blink 182 look like Mozart by comparison.

In summary: A lackluster release by one of the year's most publicized new artists, Take It All Away by Ryan Cabrera is so bland and generic that you'll get bored listening to it fast. Basically, picture John Mayer fronting 'N Sync and you'll get a pretty good idea of what this sounds like. Young women like him because they think he's cute, so I'll give you all a tip: Find a picture of him, enjoy a nice refreshing beverage, light a potpourri candle, close your eyes, and imagine Ryan Cabrera whispering sweet nothings into your ear. There, I just saved you $15.00. There is nothing redeeming about this album whatsoever, and it is without question one of the worst releases of 2004, along with Ashlee Simpson, Lindsay Lohan and Gwen Stefani. Not recommended.