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This is a strong album with a very traditional sound. The songs have an overall positive message and are geared towards family and faith. This debut effort is a solid start for Chad Tyson. It showcases his smooth vocals as well as his ability to choose songs that fit his personality. There are pure vocals with plenty of fiddle and steel guitar in the background; just what you should find on a true country album.


Chad Tyson is a young man who has fought adversity throughout his life. He was born deaf in one ear, yet went on to develop perfect pitch. At five he was diagnosed with Tuberous Sclerosis, a disease that is usually fatal, and went on to beat the odds. Through it all he had a goal of becoming a singer, and his real love was always country music. His grandfather is a Pentecostal pastor and he grew up in a family of gospel singers, so he has a very strong background in gospel as well. With some encouragement of friends and family to pursue his dream, he decided to enter Nashville Star Search to see what would happen. He walked away with "Best Original Song" and took 1st place as a Country writer and "Best of Show Overall." This let him know that he was on the right track and country music is where he should be. Taking the steps to achieve his goal, Tyson moved to Nashville so he could concentrate on developing his talents. This self-titled album is a result of his hard work, dedication and faith in his talents.

It was produced by Eric Paul and is being promoted by PLA Media. It also includes a second disc that has a short DVD documentary with Tyson's thoughts on the album and the events that have brought him this far.

One of the first impressions I had when I started listening to this CD was that Tyson has a voice that can stand on its own with or without the music. After listening through the album for the first time, I was also impressed at the positive tone the entire CD carried. In all honesty, a big part of country music is the drinking, cheating and done me wrong songs. However, a part of the music that is often forgotten or glossed over is that country music is about real people, both positive and negative. Tyson chose songs that encourage or uplift, and that is something he actively strives to accomplish through his music. While the vocals are strong, the musicians aren't second rate either. The studio musicians were Lloyd Maines, Charlie McCoy, Steve Maynard, Rodger Morris, Jerry Kroom, Bill Hullett, Hubert Hester and Wanda Vick. Charlie McCoy contributed the song, "Thinking With My Heart," one of the more light hearted selections on the album. Tyson co-wrote "Living His Dream" with Deborah Allen. It closes the album and is the story of the road of life that he has traveled. "My First Truck" is his current single and is a typical song about a man who loves his truck. There are so many really good songs, that it was hard to pick favorites. But one that I really like is "18 Inches." I think it is more of a lyrical favorite, but it really got me. It is all about finding a good balance between what your heart and your head are telling you to do because it may only be 18 inches standing between heaven and hell if you don't make the right choices.

Track List:

1. My First Truck
2. That's Love
3. 18 Inches
4. The Ones Left Behind
5. You Won't Be Lonely Long
6. Thinking With My Heart
7. A Cold One Can't Cure
8. Crazy Life
9. This Town Ain't Big Enough
10. I Wanna Be That Song
11. I Call It Home
12. Living His Dream

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