angel1982
Apr 20th, 2003, 05:27 AM
Eric Danton of The Hartford Courant reviewed the Kelly Clarkson debut solo effort
American Idol" propelled Kelly Clarkson from her job as a cocktail
waitress to the top of the Billboard charts last year, when Clarkson won the televised competition with "A Moment Like This." The song was released as a single last September, selling roughly a bazillion copies and making the show's judges, Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson, look like pop geniuses.
They seem less brilliant now, with the release of Clarkson's debut, "Thankful." It's a record full of fine vocal performances and lush orchestrations, and it's as sterile and emotionless as an operating-room table. Clarkson has unquestionable vocal talent, but so do a lot of people, and almost anyone could sound good with a staff of songwriters and producers like the one that worked on "Thankful." Diane Warren, Desmond Child and Christina Aguilera contributed tracks, and Clarkson gets co-writing credits on four of the 10 tunes (there are also two bonus tracks, which are new mixes of "A Moment Like This" and "Before Your Love").
Clarkson's powerful vocals work best when she lies back a bit, as she does on the guitar-driven "Beautiful Disaster," which is one of the best tunes on the album. She's less effective on "Miss Independent," where she tries to sound like Aguilera, who co-wrote the tune.
There's an uneasy blend of musical styles, from bombastic, Mariah Carey-style ballads like "The Trouble With Love Is" to faux R&B tunes like "Miss Independent" and "What's Up Lonely." Perhaps that's to be expected - Clarkson hasn't exactly logged a lot of hours on the road honing a sound or style that is unique to her.
That's the real problem with "American Idol," frankly. The show plucks wannabe stars from the ranks of anonymity and rewards them for internalizing the conventions of pop music. But mimicking what is popular and displaying the creative drive necessary to make music that's fresh and interesting are very different things. Despite her clear talent, Clarkson has opted for style over substance, and the resulting album is bland and uninteresting. Unfortunately, that's not really a surprise.
American Idol" propelled Kelly Clarkson from her job as a cocktail
waitress to the top of the Billboard charts last year, when Clarkson won the televised competition with "A Moment Like This." The song was released as a single last September, selling roughly a bazillion copies and making the show's judges, Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson, look like pop geniuses.
They seem less brilliant now, with the release of Clarkson's debut, "Thankful." It's a record full of fine vocal performances and lush orchestrations, and it's as sterile and emotionless as an operating-room table. Clarkson has unquestionable vocal talent, but so do a lot of people, and almost anyone could sound good with a staff of songwriters and producers like the one that worked on "Thankful." Diane Warren, Desmond Child and Christina Aguilera contributed tracks, and Clarkson gets co-writing credits on four of the 10 tunes (there are also two bonus tracks, which are new mixes of "A Moment Like This" and "Before Your Love").
Clarkson's powerful vocals work best when she lies back a bit, as she does on the guitar-driven "Beautiful Disaster," which is one of the best tunes on the album. She's less effective on "Miss Independent," where she tries to sound like Aguilera, who co-wrote the tune.
There's an uneasy blend of musical styles, from bombastic, Mariah Carey-style ballads like "The Trouble With Love Is" to faux R&B tunes like "Miss Independent" and "What's Up Lonely." Perhaps that's to be expected - Clarkson hasn't exactly logged a lot of hours on the road honing a sound or style that is unique to her.
That's the real problem with "American Idol," frankly. The show plucks wannabe stars from the ranks of anonymity and rewards them for internalizing the conventions of pop music. But mimicking what is popular and displaying the creative drive necessary to make music that's fresh and interesting are very different things. Despite her clear talent, Clarkson has opted for style over substance, and the resulting album is bland and uninteresting. Unfortunately, that's not really a surprise.