State of Mind

1	State of Mind 3:25
2	If You're Gonna Leave 3:51
3	Keep on Hoping / Jason Mraz 4:32
4	Mystery Girl 4:22
5	Waited All My Life 4:36
6	Everybody 4:01
7	Expressions of Love 2:49
8	Sittin' in the Middle 3:32
9	Suddenly 3:32
10	Never Get Enough 3:45
11	Sunshine (I Can Fly) 4:33
12	I Would Do Anything 3:34
13	All in Your Mind 3:18

Barnes & Noble

He's a phenomenal guitar player, a soulful singer, an innocently engaging songwriter. Raul Midón, who is also blind from birth and a twin, is clearly a record company dream, and his debut brings out the big guns, including producer Arif Mardin and Stevie Wonder (who lends harmonica and, one can assume, moral support). But Midón need not rely on name-dropping or on his Cinderella story to attract attention. State of Mind makes the case from the first bars of the title track, which features his dazzling acoustic guitar technique. Synthesizing the stylings of artists such as Leo Kottke and Earl Klugh, Midón's precise picking and percussive attack is rich with harmonics and syncopation. It's easy to forget that he's only minimally accompanied (and never sequenced) on the album. When not deftly imitating a trumpet, Midón's voice invokes soul touchstones such as Wonder and Hathaway, as well as modern-day disciples such as Bryan McKnight. Confident on a ballad such as "Suddenly," deftly rhythmic on the flamenco-flavored "Never Get Enough," he's a perfect foil for his own hyperactive guitar. If there's any flaw to this sparkling introduction, it's that, in the lyrics department, Midón takes his obtusely spiritual cues from Wonder. But the genuine talent on display makes such criticism curmudgeonly at best. It's far better to focus on the fascinating journey that's just beginning for this remarkable artist. Mark Schwartz

All Music Guide

Hailed as one of the breakout releases of 2005, blind guitarist Raul Midón's major-label debut generally justifies the hype. He is a stunning acoustic guitarist with a percussive, at times Latin style, and a silky, inviting singer straight out of the Stevie Wonder/Donny Hathaway school. (Wonder plays on one track and Hathaway is the subject of another.) Midón's major-label debut was co-helmed by Arif Mardin, the legendary producer behind Norah Jones' successful first release. While musically there isn't much common ground between the two artists, Mardin's subtle, airy approach works perfectly here. He lets Midón's expressive voice and nimble acoustic guitar set the tone, adding hints of percussion, flute, vibraphone, acoustic bass, wispy keyboards, and occasional backing vocals to flesh out the songs. It's a successful formula, beefing up the music without making it overly slick. Despite the vocal similarity to Wonder, Midón establishes his own sound, singing uplifting songs of love and life with Latin and jazz flourishes that marinate in the stripped-down, acoustic arrangements. It's pleasant enough, but even with a few left turns such as the fiery conga- and flute-driven spoken word "I Would Do Anything," the style and songs tend to get a little repetitious as the album creeps past its midpoint. Unlike Wonder, Midón's lovely, smooth quiet storm voice doesn't shift often enough to a harsher side, something that would help this album shift gears out of cruise control and Sunday morning brunch mode. Regardless, this remains a beautifully focused and mature work. Midón has already found his voice and the intermingled jazz/Latin/folk/soul qualities indicate a musician who can move in any one of a number of directions after this impressive start. Hal Horowitz