Free (2009)

This pop-soul piano man says Free is not actually the official follow-up to his self-titled 2008 set; instead, it offers stripped-down new studio treatments of various tunes that he's been performing since his early days on the New York City club scene. DeGraw's singing and his band's playing are fine throughout, but some more hooks like the ones in his biggest hit, ''I Don't Want to Be,'' would have been nice. Only a slow-burning cover of the late Chris Whitley's ''Indian Summer'' really stands out from the blur of tastefully arranged midtempo ballads. C+

Download This: Listen to the song ''Indian Summer'' on the singer's MySpace.com

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