Richard, I don't see any direction from you on yor submission form, so I'll dive right in!
Let me start by saying that the big standout for me here is your VOX; they're VERY reminiscent of another singer that I can't seem to recall, yet they also have a character & personality all their own, too, which is a huge part of artistry, in my opinion (& probably to most A&R people too). Your vox even 'smooth out' any rough spots when it comes to somewhat awkward lyrical phrasing at times. This is a great sax performance too; that also gives this track a lot of character, although I must admit, the rest of the instrumental performances sounded like they were dragging to me. But, a solid lead off track for your album, IF this is going to be a style you continue to pursue. I'm not young anymore, but my mom, who raised me on Johnny Mathis & Vic Damone , would love this I bet; & she still buys CDs, too!! So your music could really appeal to that demographic that's got money to buy it but just can't find it, which is where marketing comes in, so I'm glad you chose a pretty cool shot for your CD, both front and back. I thought at first you might be going in a roots or country direction w/the hat, but, I stand corrected, I'm happy to say :)
STYLE
This is kind of tough...it's nostalgic & classic A/C pop, but I can't quite pinpoint the 'sound alike' reference ... still thinking ...
MELODY
Although somewhat predictable, I feel that for this nostalgic style it's probably not much of a negative as your vox (& the sax) make this more of a standout track than it would be otherwise, especially if just evaluating melodies only. And, there IS decent contrast between the versus & chorus sections, too :)
STRUCTURE
This seems fairly well crafted to me, especially for this genre/style. It's subtle, yet shows enough contrast, especially when you add in the Vox and sax, that's suitably dynamic for this genre.
LYRIC
Because you have such a strong vocal presence, you really 'sell' this lyric even though it's relatively simple. And, this is a story that surpasses age barriers & genres, yet when you're singing it, it seems to be a perfect fit for your vocal style :) And, you make me believe it, which is probably the greatest accomplishment for any singer, regardless of genre or style. I must admit, the one spoken part of the song, at the very end, is the least believable to me. Again, it tells me what a strong singer you are!!
TITLE
It is part of the phrase of the overall theme AND it's repeated the most, especially at the end of the song, so it does sink in!! :)
