Finest Hour: The Best of Gavin DeGraw

Recording information: Arrowhead Woods Recording, Lake Arrowhead, CA; Blackbird Studio, Nashville, TN; Conway Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Decibel studios, Stockholm, Sweden; Germano Studio, New York, NY; Larrabee East, Los Angeles, CA; Maratone Studios, Stockholm Sweden; Patriot Studios, Denver, CO; Peaks Resort, Telluride, CO; Rubyred Studios, Venice, CA; Studio Elevator Nobody, Göteborg, Sweden; Sunset Sound, Los Angeles, CA; The Hit Factory, New York, NY; The Hook, Los Angeles, CA; The Lodge, West Hollywood, CA; Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA.
Directors: Shane Drake; Diane Martel.
Photographer: James Minchin III.
New York-based singer/songwriter Gavin DeGraw rose to success in 2003 when the song "I Don't Want to Be" from his debut album Chariot was chosen as the theme song on the popular American TV series One Tree Hill. His mix of gritty, rock-based songwriting and passionate, uplifting themes struck a chord with fans and music directors alike, as several more of his singles made appearances on American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, Scrubs, Boston Legal, and other popular shows. Over the course of his five studio albums, he scored a number of hits on the Billboard charts like "Follow Through," "Not Over You," and "Best I Ever Had," all of which appear here on his first best-of anthology. Finest Hour is a strong representation of DeGraw's most popular work, though some fans might be irked that the original version of his hit "In Love with a Girl" has been omitted in favor of a previously unreleased Max Martin mix. Additionally, the title track is also featured here in a newly recorded version. Alternate takes aside, this collection is a solid bet. ~ Timothy Monger