It seems like most aspiring singer-songwriters are making it big these days. Largely thanks to the internet, many artists are following the coveted path from selling homemade discs for a few bucks to a major debut record deal...but never before has there been a fresher or more appetizing debut than William Tell's You Can Hold Me Down.

The album opens with "Jeannie", a stirring pop-infused rock song promising better days to come. Here, Tell's voice takes on a fun, folk-music style, remarkably like Bob Morris' of The Hush Sound. His vocal efforts are just short of perfection.

While very much a pop song, "Slipping Under" contains more rock and roll elements than the previous song. Tell's vocals continue to soar, climaxing in the chorus ("Sing along ‘cause you know all the words/ Feel the good, the bad and the hurt"), and more guitar work is incorporated to give the song an exciting rock n' roll energy.

The single from the album, "Fairfax", is a standard pop song, full of keyboard melodies and more of Tell's fantastic vocal work. Other than that, the song is nothing special. "Jeannie" would have served as a better single simply because it is a more dynamic track than "Fairfax". This song sets off a trend for the remainder of the album.

Halfway through the album, Tell begins to tone things down a bit.

Tracks such as "Like You, Only Sweeter", and "Young At Heart" start with blotchy piano melodies. These songs fail to reach the energetic climaxes of previous songs, but still amount to provocative and touching nonetheless.

Although the previous, more rock-oriented songs were more exciting, the remaining tracks on the album are able to stir more emotions, presenting a clearer message to the listener.

The title track, "You Can Hold Me Down" closes the album in a very delicate and poignant way. Tell softly sings lyrics like "If you could hold me down/ I know you'd like to change/ If you don't know how/ Everything looks great here in your shadow of doubt."

With the charm of Butch Walker and the folk-like graces of the Hush Sound, William Tell manages to live his dreams of making good music. His childhood goal is met with You Can Hold Me Down, the first step towards a sure-to-be promising career.

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