Edwin McCain struck gold with his 1997 release, Misguided Roses, which sold half a million copies and spawned the Dawson's Creek-driven hit single "I'll Be," so he's probably earned the right to think big. That's what he does on Messenger, attacking his new set of songs with fleshed-out arrangements, several of which involve string sections and horns. Fans of McCain's more stripped-down fare will be disappointed by his rather bold-faced move toward the middle of the road, the most egregious example being the Diane Warren-penned ballad "I Could Not Ask for More," which is typically syrupy and overwrought. McCain's acoustic-driven "Ghosts of Jackson Square" is more on target, as is the soulful "Wish on the World" and the bouncy "Beautiful Life." Fans of "I'll Be" will enjoy hearing it again here, this time in a hushed vocals-guitar-sax version that's even more direct and affecting than the original. --Daniel Durchholz
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