IdolHeadEd.com - Eurythmics, Bette Middler, Janis, and Sue Grafton?? Allison's Debut!

justplainidol writes
Thank you, Ed, for the opportunity to give the world my two cents' worth regarding Allison's first (of many, I hope) albums.

I won't be comparing her to Kris or Adam, as I have not listened to either of those albums yet. And I won't let public opinion sway me, as I'm not tracking who has sold more, or where they land on Billboard Top 100. "Just Like You" has its highs and lows, and doesn't belong in the same breath with, say, "All I Ever Wanted," Kelly's newest triumph.
But "Just Like You" gives listeners a chance to hear the power, fullness, and potential of a young new recording artist. So here goes....

1. Friday I'll be Over You. Getting radio play, the first release from the album is age-appropriate, both musically and lyrically. As I listened, I could picture a carload of high school girls singing "Oh, Yeah!" at the top of their lungs!

2. Robot Love. This song is too much distraction and not enough Allison. I would guess there's potential for a cute music video here, though.

3. Just Like You. This title cut lets Allison's voice soar, and lets us appreciate the beauty of her voice. The song itself reminds me of something David Cook would slay, as does Allison.

4. Don't Waste the Pretty. Love it. I first heard this when Allison sang it for Entertainment Weekly, accompanied by an acoustic guitar only. The song carries more of a message acoustically, but I do love the drive of the electric version. Do we hear the ghost of Janis at the end?

5. Scars. This felt too country for my tastes - maybe a better fit for Carrie? It got too dramatic when the strings entered. FYI: The line, "Did I say something stupid," may not be the direction Allison should take, as she does still struggle with coherent sentences from time to time! Just part of her charm, though.

6. Pieces. A nice stage for her lower register.

7. D is for Dangerous. Okay. My age is showing. My first thought was, did author Sue Grafton pen a song for Allison? You know, "A is for Alibi," "B is for Burglar," etc. Anyway, as the song goes on, I was reminded of an alphabet game I used to play on long car rides with my siblings. So I guess this song did not touch me musically.

8. Holiday. This had a Eurythmics feel to it, and was really enjoyable. I could picture Allison rocking this song out on some music awards show.

9. Still Breathing. Has Idol turned me into a lazy listener, capable of only 90 seconds of listening before wandering off on thoughts of grocery lists or wind chill factors? Or maybe this song did not say enough to hold my interest.

10. Trouble Is. Is this "The Rose" all over again? Good lyrics here, with a feel of lost love or friendship. The line "sometimes I think forever is a thing of the past" speaks to today's world in many ways.

11. No One Else. This sounds forced; Allison was working too hard on the refrain.

12. Beat Me Up. Very catchy rhythms, hand clapping, and should be a radio hit. I know people have spoken out against this title since the unfortunate Rhianna incident, but had that not happened, I would not have thought this to be a song about abuse, and I don't believe it is.

13. You Don't Know Me. This is a strong ending to the album.

Okay, so allow me one comparison. I prefer Allison singing power ballads vs pop/rock tunes, as is my preference for David Cook's music, which is why I only truly enjoyed a handful of songs on this album. I'm eager to hear the growth, mainly in the song writers Allison chooses for future projects. As far as her growing as a vocalist, she's already there.

Have you noted your Outlook calendar and set your DVR for January 12, 2010?