Similar to athletes who tell reporters post-game “that they’re taking it one game at a time to do what’s best for the team,” it’s become common practice in the world of media-friendly clichés for musicians to stress that for them making music “is all about the fans.”
Yet in the case of singer/songwriter and acoustic cover genius Ernie Halter, he not only argues the same but in addition to walking his talk, he continually looks for ways to invite fans to come along on the journey with him. In addition to becoming “one of the first artists to really take advantage of MySpace,” the “tech-savvy approach” favored by Halter in using the internet as not just a brilliant marketing tool but as a way to follow through on his belief that “music is a conversation between the writer/singer and the listener,” the talented musician gave fans unprecedented access to the recording and promotional process of his newest album Starting Over.
Yet unlike the constant error messages of Windows Vista, Halter is quite “user friendly,” in responding to requests, so much that due to the overwhelmingly positive response from playing 150 shows, Halter felt inspired to include three of his most popular covers 
“Just Friends”
“Cyclone”
As you can see by his charismatic interaction with the adoring crowd in the “Cyclone” video who giggles and urges him on in his acoustic cover of a hip-hop track, that he explains he “flipped… adding some chords and arrangements that weren’t there,” since “it’s not the kind of song you’d hear an acoustic songwriter singing,” he is a consummate 
While during this time his first son was born, sadly it was also during this time he refers to as “a total crossroads,” his marriage fell apart and the wide range of emotions, regrets, pain, joy, and life lessons he went through are evident throughout the album he aptly titled to “set the tone.” While throughout the disc, love is the agenda of Starting Over, Halter chronicles the ups (“Crazy Love”) and downs (“Different Lives,”) of romantic love with an emphasis on the burden of long-distance relationships (“Try,” “Count the Days,” “My Heart is With You,”) but in addition to those playful covers offers a few flirtatiously sexy come hither tunes of his own (“Blue Dress” and “Played”) as well. And 
More specifically, worrying that “something tends to get lost a little when I get into the studio,” impressively, Halter chose to make the album sound “more raw and live,” with vocals recorded in “one straight take” sans “editing” or “pitch correcting.” And although he notes that this way he was “free to make some mistakes, to let it be what it is, because I feel that is also fitting with the content of the record itself,” it’s the lack of over-production and human quality of the absolutely awe-inspiring pitch of his voice and the way he can make it sound like a record or train in “Cyclone,” to wistful, sexy and longing a la Maroon 5 in “Blue Dress,” or just downright soulful in “My Heart is With You,” which makes Starting Over an amazing feat.
And indeed, upon the first few listens, he overpowers the band so much with the musicality of his instrument that it’s only later that we realize how talented his band is in ensuring they not just accompany Halter’s unique delivery and the way it changes appropriately throughout each song but heighten it when acceptable, and vocally nary a 
Although he handles vocals, guitar, piano and Rhodes organ throughout, Halter’s impressive lineup includes Jason Spiewak on the organ and Rhodes organ (as well as producing the disc), Matt Chiaravalle on guitar and percussion (along with mixing, mastering and co-engineering the album), Zachary Rudulph on bass and Michael Peters on drums, all working together nearly as a chorus since Halter’s voice is an integral part of the arrangement as opposed to just the “front man” or to quote Almost Famous “guitarist with mystique.”
Yet, aside from a few of the redundant but beautiful heartbreaking numbers about the testing of love when you’re far apart, the album’s most gorgeous original Halter track and Over’s finale “Lighthouse” with piano accompaniment is Starting Over’s standout and a song as “direct,” “simple,” “open and honest,” as Halter aspired his album to be. Moreover, while its lyrics can mean something different to each listener, it also follows through on the musician’s belief that “there is something very healing about music. Whether you’re making or listening to it, it has a way of washing over you, making things alright.”
And in offering to be “your lighthouse,” as the lyrics proclaim, once again, he continues his conversation with his loyal audience of more than 70,000 MySpace friends for whom—to misquote the lyrics, he stands.
“Lighthouse”
Released in August from Rock Ridge, Starting Over’s track listing is as follows:
1) Different Lives
2) Try
3) Blue Dress
4) Count the Days
5) My Heart Is With You
6) Pretty Girl
7) Just Friends
8) Crazy Love
9) Cyclone
10) Played
11) Lighthouse
