CD: You Can Hold Me Down

The trials and tribulations of young adulthood seem to drive much of You Can Hold Me Down, the solo debut from singer-songwriter-guitarist William Tell. Formerly of the group Something Corporate, Tell comes up with a 10-track, pop/rock album that promises to capture hearts and minds with its catchy hooks, stylish melodies and emotional lyrics about first loves, break-ups and the all-important “finding yourself.”

Produced in part and mixed by Thom Panunzio, whose producing credits include Sheryl Crow, No Doubt, Tom Petty, Aerosmith, U2 and Stevie Nicks, You Can Hold Me Down brings Tell’s talent to mainstream audiences. The opening track, “Jeannie,” is the Southern Californian’s heartfelt pep talk to a lady (guess what her name is) experiencing life’s lows while the next track, “Slipping Under (Sing Along to Your Favorite Song),” is more upbeat and a no-brainer for radio with its spirited sound and easy-to-remember chorus. Tell has some more fun giving the middle finger—still in an endearing way—to a former flame on the cheeky “Like You, Only Sweeter.” He then ventures into a darker zone, telling the story of a troubled girl who resorts to suicide to deal with life’s frustrations in “Young at Heart.” Finally, the album is anchored by the piano-driven title track “You Can Hold Me Down,” an ode to the addictive component of love (“I want to hold you the way you hold me down”) and, per Tell, how it allows you to surrender completely to someone and be okay with it.

Most of the album carries an introspective tone accented by an alt-rock powered sound, making it easy to envision most of the tracks playing on a number of CW-like shows—their young female fans drooling over the “deep,” good-looking 27-year-old. It’s not to take away from Tell’s talent of song craft and edge, but more telling of his record label New Door Records/UMe’s savvy when it comes to marketability. You cannot help but think that “Slipping Under (Sing Along To Your Favorite Song),” has a good chance of being snatched up by the American Idol folks just like Daniel Powter’s smash hit (as result) “Bad Day.” As it turns out, the hit-making show already did, giving TV audiences a preview of Tell’s music in its December/January network promo spots.