Album Review: Scott Krokoff's "A Better Life"

Scott Krokoff’s debut solo effort A Better Life is a 13-track album of solid music, both lyrically and musically and one of those albums that can be easily kept on repeat all day long. An attorney turned musician is not always looked upon highly as a wise career choice, but after giving A Better Life a close listen I’m glad Krokoff quit his day job to pursue his passion.

An accomplished acoustic and electric guitar player, the musical accompaniment throughout A Better Life is strong and never falters. An intriguing storyteller, Krokoff’s songs are full of relatable tales about relationships and life in general. “I Know Your Story” begins the album with Krokoff convincingly singing, “I know your reasons why you are guarded and concerned/You’ve been through this before there are lessons that you have learned/But don’t be frightened I won’t be like your last boyfriend.” With heartfelt and honest lyrics like that, who couldn’t believe him?

While his music has been compared to a blend of John Mayer and James Taylor, his calming vocals are also slightly reminiscent to that of Matt Nathanson. Comparisons aside, Krokoff brings something unique to his music. Whether its saxophone or electric guitar interludes, the music throughout each track blends perfectly with his vocals and as a listener, you can’t help but pay close attention to each story presented in every song.

It’s hard to put Krokoff into a specific genre. Tracks like “A Better Life” and “Holy Fire” have a country vibe to them while other songs have more of that acoustic singer-songwriter feel. All the while, many of his songs could be easily heard on the radio. Regardless, Krokoff is headed in the right direction with his debut solo effort. On title track "A Better Life" he sings "Destiny is in my grasp for I can see it/It is waiting there for me to simply reach it/I work so hard for a better day, a better life/And it's finally time for me to feel alive and have a better life." An accurate portrayal of his life, Krokoff's destiny looks bright as a musician.