Nick Jonas and the Administration - Who I Am | B

     The best way to enjoy Nick Jonas & The Administration's debut release Who I Am is to look past the fact that Nick is one third of the Jonas Brothers. The album is quite a departure for the tween pop idol, as Jonas pumps out tracks of crooning old school rock 'n roll with mellow jazz undertones.
     The opener, "Rose Garden," has an intriguing soft rock edge and tells the story of a girl with a hard life which then leads to the album's namesake "Who I Am." The song jumps between genres, playing as both rock and new age jazz with an electric guitar and drums combined to make up the instrumental support.
     Songs like "Olive and an Arrow" and "Tonight" have lyrics that are passionate and intriguing. The album is heavily indebted to such acts as Elvis Costello and Stevie Wonder in its overall sound, which is made obvious by the fact that the group has worked with both artists. Jonas' falsetto voice rings out throughout the album but on "Stronger (Back On the Ground)" it's easy to hear how hard Jonas is straining his voice to get the range of John Mayer.
     The guitar riffs for "Last Time Around" are reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" due to its high chords and overall crunching riff. A surprising influence from Jonas, but he has no qualms in taking influences from the music of the '60s and '70s.
   Who I Am is catchy, with great lyrics and a smooth beat, but it's not quite at the maturity level that Nick Jonas is posing for.