Guy Sebastian’s third album marks a key transition point in the singer’s career. No longer content with being pigeonholed as the Australian Idol winner singing pre-packaged pop tracks, a hangover from his 2003 debut Just As I Am, Sebastian took the songwriting reins on Closer to the Sun, co-writing all but two of its songs. Getting to that point was, however, a prolonged affair that took 18 months, during which the singer suffered a severe bout of writer’s block as he navigated the path from manufactured pop star to mature singer-songwriter, and from anonymity to the instant fame that accompanied his 2003 Idol win. The breakthrough came when he wrote “Taller, Stronger, Better,” an anthem of resilience and self-realization that reflects the mental hurdles he faced on that journey. From there Sebastian co-wrote songs that displayed the breadth of his musical personality, from the pop rock of “Elevator Love” to the soulful funk of “Trade This Love” and the epic, string-laden bridge that lifts the title track. With Closer to the Sun, Sebastian found a way forward.