has a pop-funk kind of vibe. In "Run Every Time", he sings about being unable to commit with someone who's ready to take it to the next level in their situation. The devoted love anthem "Soldier", was described by DeGraw as a "really beautiful sentiment." "Radiation" is about making a late night call to the one person you probably shouldn't be calling, but dial anyway when the mood strikes. DeGraw told that songs like "Radiation" and the title track "embrace some of what would either be considered primal or imperfect," and that "for a moment, it's not bad to feature reality versus romance on a record." Critical reception The album so far has a score of 64 out of 100 from Metacritic based on four "generally favorable reviews". Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic rated it 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote that "Sweeter benefits from greater textures in his surroundings, stronger hooks in the melodies, and, for once, a sensibility that doesn’t sacrifice the present for the sake of paying respect to the past." Jody Rosen from Rolling Stone gave the album a positive review, stating that: "The 10 songs on Sweeter, DeGraw's fourth album, are taut, efficient and hook-packed, with guitars bolstering the big choruses. DeGraw is an excellent singer, with a hint of grit in his tenor that tips power ballads like "Soldier" toward soul music." Melissa Maerz wrote a positive review for Entertainment Weekly, saying that "there's a half-dozen good ones on his fourth full-length Sweeter (check the title track). Too bad the other half's weighed down by painfully mopey, girl-done-left-me blues." Ken Capobianco wrote a more mixed review for The Boston Globe, stating, "The results are predictably formulaic, as seen on their co-writing effort, 'Not Over You'." Ian Drew of Us Weekly wrote favorably that "Though these 10 short tracks tend to sound a bit same-y, it's hard not to get into hearing the singer's warm, gruff voice back at work, especially on the lively title track." musicOMHs Andy Baber wrote that "Sweeter is often an enjoyable listen, one that will appease his One Tree Hill fanbase. However, with four albums now to his name, DeGraw should be looking to broaden his musical style and take some more risks. Barring a couple of exceptions, Sweeter is on the whole a timid affair, one that is all too forgettable." On the other hand, Irving Tan of