Mar 10
HarrisMusic Album Reviews, American Idol
Neither Taylor Hicks nor Elliot Yamin, both American Idol disciples with marginal post-Idol career success, are exactly what you would call sex symbols. But maybe it was a smooth move for Hicks to invite Yamin to sing on the new album, The Distance, which goes on sale today.
The duet, loftily titled Woman’s Got to Have It, is a high-energy Prince-esque barnburner complete with a spoken word intro. “You got make her feel it every time boy” Hicks sings. This just sweeps me back in time to the legendary Celine Dion/Barbra Streisand duet Tell Him. Well, both gentlemen can sing, at least.
Before I hit play on The Distance, I would have guessed that Hicks was heading into gospel, Christian rock territory on the new set. I wasn’t completely wrong, though Hicks isn’t quite as blatantly playing to the Christian crowd like say, Jessica Simpson’s foray into God’s country. This is closer to soul music, but the kind where dirrty is hinted at more than expressed directly, and almost every song could be a jilted love story.
Certainly Hicks, American Idol’s inexplicable season 5 champion, has had little success as a straight-up jazz or rock musician. Now he’s found a balance between the jazz sound he favors, a rock flavor, and a sprinkle of gospel harmonies. Nothing here screams “mainstream” but it’s a respectable release for diehard fans. It’s just not going to catch fire like former Idol alum Kelly Clarkson’s new album, also released today. For as badly overproduced as Clarkson’s album was, at least the songs were catchy. You won’t find yourself singing anything from The Distance tomorrow.
From the opening, it would be understandable if you mistake The Distance for a Christian rock album. The first three tracks, the title track and the song New Found Freedom especially, are those kind of songs that could be about lovers, or someone in love with God, depending on your interpretation. After that, (and after sitting through the putrid track Nineteen) the rest of the album falls into a comfortable groove of jazzy rock that made Hicks, yes I said this already – inexplicably, a household name.
The best way to enjoy a Taylor Hicks album is, apparently, to ignore the lyrical confusion and just sit back and absorb the vibe. A song like Seven Mile Breakdown works way better if you don’t think about what he’s singing about, as does the languid, piano-heavy Maybe You Should. On the other hand, Wedding Day Blues, written with the same formula, is flat and weirdly disturbing to listen to even if you ignore the words.
Hicks’ album needs a better mix of tracks to find total success. There is no sustained energy from start to finish, no catchy tunes hidden at the end as a saving grace. Trust me, only Hicks’ true fans got to have this one.
Mar 10
HarrisMusic Album Reviews, American Idol
I didn’t like My Life Would Suck Without You when it hit the radio waves last month. It sounded like a songwriter wrote the tagline first and then fashioned the rest of the song around it. I’m sure a lot of songs start this way, but somehow most artists find a melody in there somewhere.
But all of Kelly Clarkson’s new album All I Ever Wanted could be described that way. Overproduced is an understatement on this album. Song after song has been given Meat Loaf-sized production, which swallows up Clarkson’s angelic vocals and any hint of a melody. There’s nothing soft about the track Cry with its forlorn lyrics “If anyone asks, I’ll tell them we just grew apart…Is this what it feels like to really cry?” It sounds like Clarkson is shouting the chorus at you instead of singing it.
The formula does work occasionally. The title track, All I Ever Wanted, is toned down without losing its pop sensibility. In fact, the middle part of the album is where Clarkson finds her stride. Already Gone is my favorite track on the new album. Anchored by an uncomplicated drum beat, and a discernible melody, the tracks hangs on to a simple message “I want you to move on, so I’m already gone.” Ironically, I could see this track for its fantastic club potential.
But the rest are already juiced to the max. It’s hard to imagine what a remix could do to make them any worse. Another track just off the beaten path, almost, is Long Shot and it works because the song finds Clarkson’s voice somewhere in the mix. The other notable exception is I Want You, buried at the album’s end, which is a stark sonic departure from the rest. It sounds like Clarkson’s take on a Go-Go’s track and it’s a breath of fresh air on an otherwise congested album.
All I Ever Wanted is crowded and unnecessarily complicated even for a pop album. Clarkson’s considerable vocal talents are hidden away in the name of mainstream tastes, which is too bad because it was her vocals that sold her to America in the first place. And I still don’t like My Life Would Suck Without You even one bit.
Nov 21
AndrewMusic Album charts, American Idol
Question: Who really won in the face off between David Cook and David Archuleta?
Both American Idol finalists did pretty well for themselves. Cook, the winner, released his album on November 20 and the sound is pretty true to what got him the win on Idol (even with the schlocky The Time of My Life tacked on). Cook won the Best Reality/Variety Star at the Teen Choice Awards and already has an appearance on Saturday Night Live and an endorsement deal with Sketchers. His first post-Idol single stalled at No. 17 on the Billboard singles chart, and it’s too early to know how the album is going to do. (It’s probably worth noting that his single The Time of My Life peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 on the AC chart.)
Archuleta came in second place, released his album a week earlier, and generally put together a record that hangs its hat on ballads. He’s got a cameo-gig on iCarly and also appeared at the Teen Choice Awards. His single, Crush, peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and his album also hit No. 2 this week on the charts.
Whether or not Archuleta is really having more success or is just a week ahead of Cook remains to be seen. And for the record, Cook had a reasonably active 6-year rock career before his Idol appearance. This might be the first Idol year where both the winner and the runner-up had long-term success.
Nov 19
HarrisMusic Album Reviews, American Idol
Light On, the first single from David Cook’s self-titled release, is actually the most generic track on the set. Which is too bad because most of the tracks on David Cook are actually respectable rock-lite offerings. Come Back to Me is a nice grunge ballad “I’ll be right here waiting to see, when you find you, come back to me.” I Did It For You is a little formulaic but gives us hints of Cook’s tuneful personality.
Handled by the likes of Ed Roland (Collective Soul) and Jason Wade (Lifehouse), it’s not really a surprise that the album sounds an awful lot like Collective Soul and Lifehouse, with a heavy dose of anything Chris Cornell has ever had his hands in. Cook doesn’t distinguish himself on this album the way Chris Daughtry did on his first post-Idol release, but it is certainly one of the better Idol debut albums.
Overall, my hands down favorite track of the set is the Bar-ba-sol. “I feel sick, I feel nervous, I know just what I did to deserve this. But I know it’s not a dream.” It’s a little heavier on the guitars, a little more melodically off of the beaten path that Cook is clearly traveling. Avalanche is another track that just feels more authentic than the rest. This is where Cook shines, and manages to imprint his sound on top of the otherwise same old rock formula that has been dominating radio since post-Pearl Jam heyday. But come on, you can’t blame Cook for going with the mainstream since he was custom built by the mainstream. For all that, David Cook is pretty damn good.
Nov 13
HarrisMusic album review, American Idol
David Archuleta, the first LP release of American Idol-runner up David Archuleta, is pure pop cotton-candy. An album of power ballads, there isn’t a song here that isn’t appealing and catchy, captured by Archuleta’s breathy Celine Dion-like vocals.
The Dion comparison isn’t that far fetched. Here we have a vocalist with a soft touch, a breathtaking range, and the ability to pump the emotional flotsam out of a ship wreck. Track after track falls into a similar formula. My Hands has the some sort of vocal undulations that made Crush a hit single. Desperate is practically the same song, with a tougher exterior to be sure. Even Angels, the cover track that showed up on Idol, sounds like it belongs on this album.
Archuleta and his producers managed to avoid the schlock of say, a Meat Loaf song. That’s a good thing. But it does raise a question how these songs are going to translate into a concert. Ballad after ballad is going to slot an Archuleta show into what? A Josh Grobin type of thing? Until he can afford Celine Dion size production, I would think the energy level of his concerts (notwithstanding the 12-year girls screaming in chorus) would flatline. There’s nothing here to get the crowd pumped.
That said, the most diverse track of the bunch is Your Eyes Don’t Lie. The track has a different beat than the rest, and the vocals are jumpy (in a good way) even the whistling is a interesting twist from the rest of the album.
By the way, what’s with the cover photo? He looks tired and tough.
Aug 13
AndrewMusic American Idol, Tour
Daughtry has packaged its post-Idol debut into a new deluxe package that will hit the shelves on September 9. In addition to bolstering the 12-track album with four extra songs, the release will include a DVD featuring live performances, music videos and band interviews. The band begins a month-long tour this week in Las Vegas to promote the release.
Daughtry tour
August 15 Las Vegas, NV Red Rocks Casino
August 16 Kelseyville, CA Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa
August 17 Elverta, CA Gibson Ranch Park
August 18 Morgantown, WV West Virginia University
August 19 Meadville, PA Crawford County Fair
August 21 Syracuse, NY New York State Fair
August 23 Mashantucket, CT The MGM Grand at Foxwoods
August 24 Essex Junction, VT Champlain Valley Expo
August 26 Denver, CO Democratic National Convention
August 27 Allentown, PA Allentown Fairgrounds
August 29 Green Bay, WI Meyer Theater
August 30 Milwaukee, WI Harley Davidson
August 31 Madison, WI One Campaign Show
September 2 Duluth, MN Fregeau Auditorium
September 3 Minneapolis, MN Republican National Convention
September 11 Allegan, MI Allegan County Fair
September 12 London, ON Western Fair
September 13 York, PA York Fair
September 14 Glendale, AZ University of Phoenix Stadium
Concert information is up to date at time of publication
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