小简介： FromtheopeningnotesofBretRyan'ssummeryfirstsingle,"IfItFeelsRight,"whichdemandsyoutapafoottoitsinstantlycatchy,spunkyrhythm,you'llknowthis21yearoldsingersongwriterisn'tyouraveragepopartist.Hishazardouslyhookysongsareasinfectiousastheyareoriginalandhe'ssuretoturnyourearwhenhisselftitleddebutalbumarrivesAugust26. Recountingfeelingsofsummertimelovewithplayfulcandor,"IfItFeelsRight"hitsalltherightnoteswithyoungloversandtheirplayfulaffections.It'sasongthatcamenaturallytoRyan,whoadmitshishearthasbeenturnedinsideoutbythefairersex. "Idon'tknowifIfallinloveeasily,butsometimesagirlwillwalkbyandI'lljustmeltandthink'That'sthegirlI'mgoingtomarry,'knowingfullwellI'llprobablyneverspeaktoherorseeheragain,"Ryanlaughs. Asalways,thetracktakesaslightdeparturefrompopnorms,somethingkeytoRyan'ssongwriting. "Thesongisareallycool,uptempo,funsummersongwithanalternativevibe,"Ryansaysaboutthebreakoutsingle."I'minterestedinquirkIlikealittlebitofthatineverything.I'mnotintoyourtypicalpoprecords." MakingpopwithatwistissomethingthatcomesnaturaltoRyan,whodescribeshimselfassomewhatofaperennialoutcast.Fromtheageofthree,thistalentedyoungprodigyfoundhimselfmakingfastfriendswiththepiano,andlatertheguitar,alongwithahostofothermusicalconfidants.Whilehisbondwithmelodyandsongwritingenvelopedhimthroughouthisteenageyears,hefoundhimselfdriftingawayfromhisfriendsandthetypicaldiversionsofadolescence. "WhenIwasyounger,myfriendswerealwayshangingout,playingbasketballorhockey,butIjustalwayswantedtoplaymusic,"heexplains."Thatkindofseparatedmefromeverybodyelse.Itmademedifferent.Alotofteenagersfeelthattheyareoutcastsandtherearealotofpeerpressuresthatstudentsfaceinsocietytoconform.Butintheend,we'reallbeautifulevenifwe'redifferent." ItwastheseearlyemotionsthatledRyantowritethesweepingalbumopener,fittinglytitled"TheOutcast."Thesong'sthunderouslyboldpianoandcommandingorchestrationintroduceRyan'speerlessmusicalstyleanduniquefalsettovoice,whichdemandslistenersrealizeit's"differentnottobethesame"butthat'sagift,notacurse. ForthisrecordRyanenlistedthehelpofsomemusicalheavyweightfriends,includingDavidCampbell(MyChemicalRomance,AvrilLavigne),whoarrangeditsspectacularstrings,GrammywinningmixerChrisLordAlge(Sum41,GreenDay)andTorontoproducerJustinGray(EmmaBunton,JossStone).ThepowerhousecasthelpedRyanhonehispenchantforatypicalpop,whichtakeslistenersonanunexpectedrollercoasterridethroughthealbumfromstarttofinish. "I'mmoreintothealternativesideofpop,whichmakesitalittlemoreinteresting,"Ryannotes."I'vealwaysbeenabigfanofdiversity,too.Alotoftimes,recordscomeoutandallthesongsarekindofthesame.Mineareallsodifferent,buttheytietogether." Caseinpoint"FuturePsychoExGirlfriend,"aclamoring,uptempostereoslammerthatrelatesRyan'sreallifeexperiencewithtwistedfirstlove."Ihadafuturepsychoexgirlfriendwhoisnowmypsychoexgirlfriend.IactuallywrotethatsongwhileIwasdatingher,"Ryansays. Whenitcomestomattersoftheheart,Ryanadmitshe's"abig,sappyguy"whocan'thelphimselfwhenitcomestolovesongs.Thetenderballad"She'sBeautiful"recountstheimpossibleperfectionhesawinagirl,whoseincrediblenaturalbeautymeltedhisheart,despitethefacthisfeelingswereeventuallyunrequited. Butthealbumisn'tallloveandsunshine.Ryanalsoshowsafewcatharticglimpsesofdarkness.Mostpoignantlyon"CrawlingInsideMyself,"asongwrittenduringwhathecallsoneofthedarkestpointsofhislife.Withtwotragicdeathsinthefamilyhauntinghim,Ryanfoundhimselfaloneonedayintherecordingstudioonananniversaryoftragedyandturnedtosongwritingforrelease. "Ihadthisdarkfeelingcomeoverme,"herecalls."IjustsatthereandfeltlikeIwascrawlinginsidemyself.Ienvisionedthispictureofmecrawlinginsidemyself,anotherversionofme,crawlingintomystomach,loosingmymind.Iwasn'tabletodealwiththings.Thesongisabunchofdarkthoughts.Writingithelpedmegetthroughalotofthepain." Undeniablydiverseandunique,Ryan'sdebutreleaseissuretoprovidearefugeforanyoutcast,whetherdealingwithloss,loveorlonging.Itmightnotsoundliketherestofthesyrupypopspillingoutoftheradio,butevertheoutsider,that'swhatRyan'smostproudabout. "I'mgladIdon'thaveoneofthoseclich,popvoices,"hesaysofhissignaturesound."I'veneverevencomeclosetopretendingtobesomethingI'mnot,evenifIamabitunconventional.Ihopethisrecordhelpskidsseethegoodintheirdifferences,too."