American Idol finalist mixes ‘70s vibe with modern orchestrations
This American Idol top-five finalist’s first post-show album slipped out with surprisingly little hoopla, and that’s a shame, because she brings her retro-70s singer-songwriter vibe in spades. There are hints of country in the piano and guitars, but White relies in large part on the Carole King style she brought to her performances on AI. Unfortunately such a nakedly retro album would have little chance in the modern radio market, and so her producers have dressed things up with orchestrations that, despite the drippy George Harrison-styled guitars, tend to generic modern.
The album opens promisingly with the retro styling and starry eyes of “Radio Radio,†a tune whose quivery emotion and chorus hook would fit perfectly between top-40 hits by Carly Simon and Gilbert O’Sullivan. White’s heartfelt emotion threads through other tracks, but occasionally finds itself competing with the orchestrations. Particularly egregious is the dance beat and disco style of the title track. Still, she uses her upper range to add terrific emotional trills on “Out of the Ashes,†and sings with a directness that is enchanting. Similarly, her lower range on “Phoenix†is tremendously warm and inviting. White co-wrote eleven of the twelve songs, offering up mid-tempo numbers and piano-based ballads, and adds a cover of Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody.â€
Having taken the indie route, rather than releasing her album through the AI machine, one might have hoped she’d stay true to her unique musical assets. Unfortunately, the record industry’s ADD dictates that you find a sound already friendly to radio, rather than build career momentum over three or four albums. That said, there are enough of White’s charms here to please those who enjoyed her pre-AI release Songs in the Attic, even if they’re occasionally buried or sidetracked by the production. What made White compelling as an American Idol makes her compelling as a recording artist, just not on every track. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com] 