"I went to 40 states, ate at 330 restaurants, stayed in 210 hotels, and slept on one boat – John Mayer’s Mayercraft Cruise; I know because I wrote it all down," James says with a laugh.

The 18-month tour enabled James (whom Entertainment Weekly has called "A Songwriter on the Rise'") to build his fanbase the way many successful musicians have done before him: one room at a time, and he shares the fruits of that journey – renewed vigor, musical maturity, and even a new sound – on his second album.

[4] "Aiding in delivering James' maturation as both writer and performer is producer Warren Huart (The Fray, Howie Day, Augustana), a skilled collaborator who obviously has a special gift in assembling uptempo mainstream pop tracks for mass consumption without sacrificing the earnest and serious-minded artistic center of each."

I guess if I didn’t have outside opinions, I’d probly just say I sound like me.James scores his national TV debut on CBS Saturday's Second Cup Café September 25 and is scheduled to tape a performance on The Rachel Ray Show in October To coincide with the album release, Brendan continues his stint on the road with supporting popular pop band Parachute, John Legend and Grammy-winning singer Paula Cole, he will also co-headline concerts with Jason Reeves.

"Finding that special not-too-sweet spot that lingers somewhere between hook-heavy, radio-friendly pop anthems and the art of critically credible, personal songwriting, Brendan James exudes a gracefully assured ease."

"James' distinctly detached vocal delivery actually keeps the grander moments here in check, subtle cool shadings that keep the focus on the classic pop/rock melodies that burrow quickly into the subconscious.

—Direct Current Music [7] "If David Gray's "Babylon" burned a hole in your CD player, tune in to James's rich, vibrato-tinged croon, which straddles postadolescent ardor and grown-up love on his self-titled disc."

The result is a slick, lush album that splits the difference between adult contemporary and the sort of PG-rated pop that OneRepublic creates, with light electronics and computerized blips-and-bloops adding texture to the mix."

The 11 songs on Brendan James' self-titled second album nestle in a melodically soothing and lyrically thought-provoking bed that brings to mind classic pop singer-song- writers such as Carly Simon, Elton John and Billy Joel.

James, particularly on tracks such as "Nothing for Granted," "The Fall," "Different Kind of Love" and "Emerald Sky," understands the heartfelt connection between adult emotions and indelible melodies.

Two other songs address the challenges --- including the wars abroad, violence at home and economic uncertainty --- faced by members of the so-called Millennial generation."

—Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier[12] "If men ticklin’ ivory keys while croonin’ about lost love (i.e.: David Gray or Damien Rice) is more your speed then check out Brendan James.