[1] All songs were written or co-written by Matt Hires and his long-time producer Eric Rosse (Sara Bareilles, Tori Amos).

Matt has also collaborated with some noted songwriters, including Emmy Award nominated songwriter and novelist Harry Shannon, Indie singer-songwriter Gus Black, Gregg Wattenberg – who co-produced Train's quadruple platinum hit "Hey, Soul Sister" and Daughtry's platinum single "It's Not Over", he also co-wrote the song "You in the End" with Sara Bareilles.

An exclusive iTunes deluxe version of the album includes additional three bonus demo tracks, music video of "Honey, Let Me Sing You a Song", and a digital booklet.

But it was really cool to work with these folks- I feel like I learned a lot.I started writing songs after my first real girlfriend broke up with me.

I tried to not really think about the words I was saying as much as the feeling I was trying to get across.Yeah, that's what we were trying to go for there, and then with the bridge, bring it up, like the sun is rising, like we're coming out of the dark, that was what we were going for when recording that.

So some of "Out Of The Dark" is about what I was going through in relation to that.We have about five songs that we recorded demos of that didn't make it on to the album.

It may make its way onto an album with a full band version of it somewhere along the way.All tracks are written by Matt Hires and Eric Rosse except as notedThe album has earned advance critical praise and received generally favorable reviews from most music critics.

People Magazine hailed the collection, noting "on the opening cut of his debut, Hires requests, 'Honey, Let Me Sing You a Song'.

"[7] Creative Loafing commended the album as "cleverly-crafted and interesting, full of sincerity and catchy melodies highlighted by (Hires') enveloping, gravelly tenor.

"[8] On Andrew Leahey's review: "'Take Us to the Start' sounds best at its most brisk, when Hires trades the coffeehouse aspirations of his slower songs for something more akin to driving, mainstream pop/rock.

The bulk of this debut album is filled with semi-ballads, though, whose leisurely pace allows Hires more room to indulge a bit too heavily in the influence of his Hotel Café contemporaries.

"A Perfect Day" is heard in the season two episode "Acceptance" of Private Practice, and is used in the trailer for the 2010 film When in Rome.