The last time I heard a Tyler Hilton song was in 2004, and the track was “Kiss On Me;” the 20-year old singer-songwriter was, meanwhile, guest-starring on the hit TV series One Tree Hill. Now, a good eight years later, Hilton has grown up. Forget The Storm is only his third full-length studio album—his last release was 2004’s The Tracks Of—but this long hiatus seemed to be just what he needed.
Forget The Storm kicks off with the sultry “Kicking My Heels;” a Gavin DeGraw-like pop-soul track. The song has a solid hook, giving an early 2000s feel. As the album progresses, Hilton tries to channel more of a rock sound with “Loaded Gun,” a catchy pop-rock tune. “Jenny,” meanwhile, is a heartfelt love song, reminiscent of Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl.” Hilton brings the rock again with “Ain’t No Fooling Me,” but the track loses its steam before it can finish its course.
“Leave Him,” is perhaps the most compelling track, where Hilton begs his girl to do just that. The song fits nicely with the other acoustic ballads on the album, such as “Hey Jesus.”
It’s difficult to know what to expect when picking up an actor’s musical foray, but Tyler Hilton leaves listeners with a pleasant surprise, worth a spot on any fall playlist.
