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About the opening bluegrass observation, there are at least two tunes on Defying Gravity with a certain amount of twang. "The Way That You Love Me" combines mandolin and dobro tones with a traditional country bass guitar line. Furthermore, the guitars that kick in on the second verse have a decided Johnny Cash sound. "Pass The Flame" is more laid back at first with a build of energy going into the choruses. The verses have some banjo picking and guitar slides going on in the background. OK, so neither tune is what you'd call straight "bluegrass" by any stretch, but the influence IS there on both these songs, and to a lesser degree in brief portions of other tunes.
The remainder of Defying Gravity combines lush strings with rock drums and a mix of acoustic and electric guitar. "Don't Leave The Band" is a great car driving song, sounding like a slightly countrified version of a Roxette or INXS tune. "The Stream" is better suited to power walking. (After all, the lyrics state "Sometimes I go walking.") For fans who like to wave their cigarette lighters in the air at concerts, there's "Give It All Away."
Elefante's vocals have a classic and consistent quality. Unlike most singers who vary their vocal timbres for whatever mood they are expressing, he depends on the surrounding musical production to set the tone. Songs must necessarily be well written for this to work with higher pitched notes for the most important lyrics, built in dynamic varitions, etc. Elefante co-wrote all ten tunes on Defying Gravity, showing he knows how to best serve his own vocal approach . . . well . . . 90% of the time anyway. The title cut is the only exception, being rather mundane and repetitive, which begs the question, "Why was the least interesting song chosen as the album's title?" Perhaps the excellent graphic design was already complete before the song selection.
Lyrical consistency ranges from average to good on Defying Gravity. "Give It All Away" has a rather basic sort of topic:
"When we give You just a little, we give You nothing at all."Others take a concept like a sign giving directions to a highway exit ("Exit 39") and build an intriguing storyline around the idea. "Pass The Flame" is one of the stronger lyrics on Defying Gravity, examining different family relationships with each verse and the need for the older generation in each case to "pass the flame" to the younger.
Two things can be said about John Elefante. He's an excellent producer and although he produces his own material, it doesn't hamper his ability to produce a good quality product. Three things can be said about Defying Gravity. It rises. It floats freely. Then it rises some more.