(April 16, 2026) One of the first album reviews in the very early days of SoulTracks was the 2003 major label debut of Javier Colon, then simply using the moniker Javier. The singer, songwriter and guitarist has had quite a journey since then, going back to the coffeehouses for several years before returning to the forefront as the winner of NBC’s The Voice and two more strong, but underappreciated, major releases before going back to the indie circuit.
The Connecticut-based performer now returns with his first single in nearly a decade: an acoustic version of the Cyndi Lauper classic, “Time After Time.” He originally performed it live on Season One of The Voice, and he recently reprised it in an “All-Star Showdown” on the show.
Colon’s signature has always been his bright tenor voice, and he uses it effectively to lift this gentle reading. Using a six string to set the mood, he lets his singing performance (and tight backing harmonies) to take the song in fresh, expressive directions.
This is the type of recording Colon has always returned to in between the big label extravaganzas, and it fits him well. In many ways, he is at his essence a throwback to the singer/songwriter era of the 1970s, where a man or woman with just a guitar and a basketful of great songs in hand could create a quiet, spellbinding hour for an audience. And with so much of modern radio consistently pushing the volume to eleven, something like “Time After Time” is dynamic counterprogramming, allowing listeners the space to savor each note of a seemingly timeless composition.
Check out “Time After Time” below, and welcome back the talented Javier Colon.
By Chris Rizik
