JC Villafan has "success story" written all over him. Drawing influence from soul greats like Bill Withers, and Elton John, his debut album 'Sweet Time' reveals that this Harbor City native has the sort of vocals and songwriting chops to make the world stop and listen.

JC is a singer songwriter with a simple message in all of his songs that you can connect with, not to mention he's also a smooth singer that delivers his songs with real passion. I was taken aback by how good JC was live, his voice and sound was crystal clear; playing mainly acoustic guitar his smooth soulful voice blended wonderfully, and in many ways reminded me of the retro soul movement from the early 90's. In keeping with his soul influences, much of Sweet Time has a full, warm multi-instrumental sound. JC has an amazing stage presence that everyone should experience.

Title track "Sweet Time", an upfront love song, is borne along on florid piano and Maxwell-esque string arrangements, with optimistic brass and cascading percussion. This album stands out as a refreshing sound from all the current mainstream music, but the sure success of this album will prove that soulful melodies and a good voice will always be the bottom line.