Track Listing

1. Silence Is Golden... (Intro)
2. Break Anotha
3. Gots To Get Her (Inspired by "Puttin' On The Ritz")
4. Know My Name
5. How Many Words
6. Surrender
7. Hate 2 Love Her
8. Without You
9. Here's My Hello
10. What'cha Got 2 Lose?
11. She's Makin' Me Lose It
12. Bshorty Grabs Mic!
13. End Of The World
14. 1000 Miles
15. I Got U
16. ..I Choose Noise (Outro)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #540 in Music
• Released on: 2007-12-04
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
The strategy sessions over how to present Blake Lewis's post-American Idol debut must have been excruciating, as label-types scratched their heads, wondering: Is it possible to market a disc full of beat-boxing? If not, would the world warm to Blake Lewis, pop charmer? Or Blake Lewis, balladeer? The safest bet seems to have been to build a better post-prime time set by way of experimentation. Audio Day Dream unfolds much the way late-season American Idol shows do: It sets Lewis on a lot of platforms and lets him play up his charm, if not always his straight-outta-the-'80s musical predilections. Partially the brainchild of producer Ryan Tedder (One Republic), "Break Anotha" is pure beat-box Blake and, as such, it's demonically catchy. The same can be said for hip-hop and electro-tinged numbers such as "She's Makin' Me Lose It" and "Gots to Get To Her." Stabs at sentimentality surface, and they're not bad: "I Got U" may very well get you, if you like soft pop stylized with a nod in Adam Levine's direction. Overall, ADD demonstrates why Lewis blazed his way into AI's final round: He's out there, sure, but he's willing to reel it in enough to keep it real for the masses. -Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews

ADDictive and Lively
I'm still shocked this isn't getting more airplay. Take a listen to "How Many Words" and "What you got to lose" and you'll see why you should buy it. ADD is completely different than you might expect from an Idol contestant. There is no formulaic song on this album--it's all new, all fresh, and all Blake. There is hip hop, dance beats, amazing love songs, and more. Blake has shown his talent as a songwriter and as a producer.

A fresh take on stale pop; Blake surprises me with his creativity and range...
When Blake Lewis made it into the finals over Melinda Doolittle I thought I was going to break something. The ideal dream that the title of American Idol would go to something truly deserving was dead; now all we had to do was watch two decent voices battle it out for a title that does not belong to them. While I think that overall Jordan Sparks has a great voice, I was voting for Blake to nab this for the mere fact that he is so different than anyone else the show has ever seen. Despite the fact that he lost, his debut album proves that America got it wrong. Now, I have not heard Sparks' entire debut, but what I have heard is generic and forgettable (that whole `No Air' song gives me a headache). `Audio Day Dream' is not perfect, and it has its fair share of missteps but it is so original and experimental that it deserves your attention in the least.

First things first; this is not your typical pop album. It has a very 80's vibe to it and that may turn off many of the tweens who fell in love with Blake on the show. If you are expecting an album filled to the brim with infectious hip-hop beats and beat-boxing then you may want to avoid this album; but if you are willing to open your minds to the world of Blake Lewis then by all means, dive right in.

`Audio Day Dream' opens strong with the beat-box heavy `Break Anotha' which manages to couple Blake's silky vocals with his signature beats to create one of the best examples of what this kid is capable of doing. `Know My Name' is another track that keeps the beats heavy and `modern'. `Know My Name' is sadly upstaged by young rapper Lupe Fiasco who happens to steal all of Blake's thunder and completely makes the song his own. I say sadly only because Blake takes a backseat, which should not be the case when the track is on his debut album. Blake reaches Prince levels of falsettos on `She's Makin' Me Lose It' and surprisingly he pulls it off; adding layers of futuristic techno beats to it and creating a sound all his own. `Got to Get Her' is one of those missteps for me. It sounds really forced and in all honestly a tad corny. The bongos and total `Copacabana' vibe to the song does not mesh well with the album or Blake in any way shape or form.

`BShorty Grabs Mic!' shows us what Blake is made of. His beat-boxing skills are phenomenal but I can't help but think that he was more impressive on the show. What he did with `You Give Love a Bad Name' was nothing short of perfection, and as far as his beat-boxing is concerned, I don't see that degree of `perfect' on this album.

In my humble opinion the best track on this album is `How Many Words', a song that perfectly exemplifies Blake's haunting vocals and his slick style. The song is pristinely constructed; from beautiful lyrics to a classic beat that actually allows Blake to beat-box in a very controlled and titillating way that elevates the track to new heights. Blake continues to swoon his audience on tracks like `End of the World' and especially `Without You', a track that will surely become an instant fan-favorite. His silky smooth vocals are in top-form on these tracks. The closing track `I Got U' in particular brings Blake to Justin Timberlake heights of pop-ballad-beauty. There is no denying that Timberlake has an exceptional vocal range, and on `I Got U' Blake proves that in due time he could become the next Timberlake.

The 80's vibe that I spoke about on the outset of this review is in full throttle on tracks like `Surrender', which reaches Duran, Duran levels of 80's pop-rock. The song is catchy and works marvelously. Blake's vocals are a perfect compliment to this musical style and you can tell he is extremely comfortable exploring this genre. `Hate 2 Love Her' and `1000 Miles' follow this same formula, each lending something new and fresh to the album. Neither is as infectious nor as marvelously `perfect' as `Here's my Hello', a track that probably stands as second best on the album. Blake is just at the top of his game on this track; effortlessly sliding in and out of the beat to deliver a soft and enticing little number. `What'cha Got 2 Lose' is another misstep for me, a song that sounds like a rejected Backstreet Boy's song. I just can't bring myself to enjoy it.

In the end `Audio Day Dream' is an album that you really need to give some attention. It is not what you might expect from this American Idol runner-up; but in my opinion that is a good thing. All too often pop today is predictable and redundant. It's about time someone with a fresh vision and an old soul brings something new to the table. Sure, there are a few bugs Blake needs to work out, but I'm confident that this debut will serve as a great building block for an even stronger sophomore album.

This album is fun, creative & has great vibe, loved it !
Alright so this album is not everyones cup of tea but DAMN, it hit the right spot with me. This album popped up in my recommendations and so I decided to sample the tracks... WOW! I was immediately blown away. This album certainly has a daydreamy feel and I think Blake did an AMAZING job... the beats are hot, his singing is incredible & the vibe of this record is sooo cool. It is fairly reminiscent of Timberlakes 'Futuresexlovesounds' in the way every track has an element or a mix that you have never heard before. Certainly stepping outside of the box of traditional pop styles. 10 points for creativity and 10 points for listenability (i know, i made up that word). I really enjoy driving w/ this record in the car or just chilling out to it! I think this record must have been underpromoted cuz in todays world where pop/hip hop artists like Rihanna/ Timberlake sell millions this record certainly could have sold some more. I loved it.