Featuring songs co-written by Ryan Tedder and other artists, Gavin DeGraw's fourth album, Sweeter, offers up more smart, melodic pop songs, with piano chords and DeGraw's elastic vocals taking the spotlight on singles like "Not Over You." Sweeter benefits from greater textures in his surroundings, stronger hooks in the melodies, and a sensibility that doesn't sacrifice the present for the sake of paying respect to the past.
