Evan Taubenfeld-Welcome to the Blacklist Club

Written by Ellen Marie Hawkins

Evan Taubenfeld

(picture courtesy of Warner Bros. Publicity)

If you recognize Evan’s name, but can’t quite place him, just take a glance at Avril Lavigne’s liner notes. He co-wrote many songs for her and was her musical director and lead guitarist until 2004.

But now it’s his turn to break out on his own, something the 25 year old has dreaming of since he fronted his first band at the age of 16. Welcome to the Blacklist Club is radio friendly pop rock at its best. Many of the songs are just feel good songs, such as “It’s Like That,” “Love/Hate,” and “Cheater of the Year.” These are songs Evan described himself as songs about “having fun.” They are catchy ear candy you’ll want to beat out of your head when you’re trying to go to sleep at night.

Songs like “Pumpkin Pie,” “Boy Meets Girl,” and “Matter of Time,” are no less addicting, but Evan describes them a little more in depth. “Pumpkin Pie,” the first single from the album, “give(s) you a sense of what it’s like to hang out with me.” “Story of Me and You,” is about a long term relationship that is tarnished. And “Matter of Time,” is about a “crazy summer love affair.”

Evan admits that sometimes people are jaded, especially in L.A., and that they aren’t in touch with how much they simply want to fall in love. He exposes that and embraces that he is a romantic.

The deepest song on the album is “Evan Way.” “Things go wrong. Sometimes we fall. The world keeps turning and we move along. And that’s what makes us who we are.” The song is about alcoholism in his family and what Evan describes as the, “toughest on the album for me.” But the fact that he wrote such a personal song reveals his courage and his talent.

If, for whatever reason, you don’t like Avril, whether it was her voice or her attitude, but liked her music or her lyrics, you’ll enjoy Evan’s music. A large part of her success has to be because such a great guy as Evan was part of her music writing and selection process, and listening to Welcome to the Blacklist Club sometimes felt like an Avril album, but with his voice. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The Blacklist Club is also a fan community created by Evan. He believes that if he has improved someone’s day through his songs, he’s got a reason for existing. Take a listen to this disc. You’ll be glad that you did.

Tags: avril lavigne's, Evan Taubenfeld, music, pop rock, review, welcome to the blacklist club