Joshua James is a folk rock singer/songwriter that has been compared to other great musicians, such as Bob Dylan and Neil Young. In 2007, one of his albums (“The Sun is Always Brighter”) reached #1 on the Itunes Folk Album Charts. “From the top of Willamette Mountain” is Joshua’s fourth studio full album release. With his unique voice, meaningful lyrics, and nostalgic sound, this CD is a perfect for any folk fan.

Joshua James’ lyrics and instrumentals are the strongest parts of this album. His songs cover a wide variety of topics and his choice of words make each verse relatable and personal. When coupled with the instrumentals, this cd is very well rounded and sure to please any of his fans. He has a very nostalgic sound that makes you feel like you are listening to either Dylan or Young. If you just listen to the album, without judging, you will be able to feel the raw emotions Joshua is trying to convey through his songs.

However, a couple of gripes with the album were the vocals and the repetitiveness. He seems to sing the same way in every song. I would like to hear his vocal range a lot more or at least have more variety in his singing style. Also, even though I liked his sound and his lyrics, if you do not like one song on this album, it is doubtful you’ll like the rest of the songs. He seems to use the same formula for every song on this album and started to get a bit redundant by the end. It wasn’t bad album, but I would have liked have seen more variety in his vocals and song style. For those reasons, I am giving this album a “C+.”