Review: Caleb Hawley's Big Return to Grounds & Sounds Cafe

Dedicating a portion of his performance and between-song banter to , the easygoing charisma that drew Caleb Hawley fans was no act.

Just like the two times he'd played there before – both prior to his stint on Idol – Hawley won over the crowd gathered Friday evening at Grounds & Sounds, a monthly coffeehouse and venue for musicians hosted by Stony Brook's .

His commanding, soul-infused voice and nimble guitar chops were as genuine, genial and nuanced as the man himself. Citing wry storytellers like Randy Newman and Tom Waits as well as R&B legends like Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder (both of whom were faithfully covered) as influences, his tastes are wide-ranging. Which means his favorites are, at any given time, subject to change.

"I go through phases," Hawley said after his performance, after meeting with the crowd, signing some CDs and rejoining his wife Samantha and their dog, Fargo, named for his North Dakota hometown. "I love everything, even the poppiest of pop."

Following the talented Brooklyn duo Barnaby Bright and a strong open-mic set at the top (which included a number featuring local performer and 2005 Idol semifinalist Erinn Furey), Hawley took charge of the stage without hesitation, launching into a humorous reflection on medications and their effects, both intended and otherwise ("We Got All Problems"). Weaving this other thread in and around his discussion on the ups and downs of Idoldom, Hawley returned to the theme with the brooding "Call Me Crazy," a reflection on medication's impact on identity. Over a somber piano arrangement, its intro posits a troubling question: "Do I swallow them/Or is it them that swallow me?"

The mood lightened again soon with several cover choices, including the aforementioned Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke," also a selection from Idol. Fleshed out fully (and with the aid of audience handclaps), Hawley confidently matched Wonder's vocal, smiling and scatting through the horn break while mirroring the melody on his guitar.

When Hawley writes material, he said he tends to follow one of two paths: He'll either fit together both music and lyrics he's already come up with, or he'll write new music to accommodate lyrics in his notebook. Some of the other originals from this set included "Bada Boom Bada Bling," a sly, jazzy tale of a man seeking to be looked after by, rather than providing for, his woman; "Who's Your Doggy," which humorously envies canines as objects of unconditional affection; and "It's A Good Feeling," about navigating the emotional shoals of a new relationship ("I think I love you/But can we just be friends?" he pleads charmingly over the churning guitar bridge).

"I want to write, like, 40 songs," he said, adding that he will edit that number down to the best of the best when it comes time to record. "Sometimes it's hard to find the subject matter."

Summing up his process, he recalls a Picasso quote: "Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working."

Hawley will return to Grounds & Sounds in September for the Woodlands Folk Festival. For more information, visit his website.

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