The first time I sat down and listened to Ben Wilkins' self-titled album, the first thing I thought to myself was, "Great, another Ben Folds sound-alike. Just what the music world needs." But as I made my way through the album and even the first track, I changed my mind quickly. Although Wilkins does have a voice that could easily be compared to Ben Folds, he is backed by a rich and full instrumental sound that makes the music unique in his own way.

The London, Ontario-born singer/songwriter, whose debut album hit record stores on October 18, has already heard a great amount of praise for his advanced music ability, voice and pop-driven piano melodies. All of these fall into place when listening to tracks such as "Back Of My Head", with its powerful breakdowns of harmonizing piano and strings, and "Chameleon", a vocal-driven jazzinfluenced number, which I believe to be the stand-out track on the album. It's no surprise that the strong piano sound that plays backup to Wilkins' powerful tenor comes from 13 pianos that were recorded in unison with 24 musicians to create an orchestra of sounds that includes strings, brass, percussion, winds and a small choir.

A genuine music lover, Wilkins left London at the age of 18 to study Classical Trumpet at McGill University in Montreal. It was there that he was able to soak up as much composition, arranging, singing, theory and jazz harmony as possible. After graduation, he received a scholarship to study Mandarin in China where he spent the better part of the year at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. It was after his return to Montreal that Wilkins was approached by acclaimed engineer Pascal Shefteshy (who has in the past worked with musicians such as Sarah McLachlan and Rufus Wainwright) to record an album. The finished result was fittingly described as "an ageless and enduring classic pop record" by the Morburn Music blog.

Thanks to the positive and rave reviews that have become known in the few weeks since the release of the self-titled album, it will be no surprise for Ben Wilkins to move forward into the spotlight with this debut album, with its rich and warm melodies that will be admired by fans well into future projects by the artist.

Released with Milagro Records, the self titled album by Ben Wilkins is available in record stores now. For more information, check out benwilkinsmusic.com.