Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that Ammerican Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee's perky pop runs the gamut of teenage emotions, covering everything from love's loss and longing to retail therapy. There's no offensive or direct language on this CD -- and it's better than most Idol winners' first efforts.
Families can talk about the phenomenon of American Idol winners releasing huge-selling albums. Do you think Katharine McPhee would have made it on her own, without the benefit of exposure on the popular TV show? Would her first CD have been different, if so? How?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Kathi Kamen Goldmark
Katharine McPhee can sing -- that's a given. All the winners on the popular TV show American Idol can sing. Whether they bring taste and intelligence to the table, and how their talents are handled by the AI powers that be, are the issues in question on the endless parade of debut albums by winners and runners-up. It seems that, finally, the folks who produce these projects are paying some attention to the personalities, strengths, and weaknesses of the artists; they no longer sound like a good Friday night at the local karaoke bar.
Katharine McPhee delivers a dozen pleasant tracks of well-performed pop that cover the emotional landscape of being a teen. She's given a chance to strut her considerable stuff on a couple of breathtaking ballads ("Ordinary World" and "Better Off Alone"), but she also shows that she's capable of some "girls-just-wanna-have-fun" attitude on tracks like "Open Toes": "I'm lovin' these sling-back shoes / I like the way they stay loose / I could wear them all day / Shoes like this make me hate flats... / Swipe that card and I'm good / another pair in leather and wood / I'm a sucker for a name brand," she warbles in an unapologetic danceable celebration of retail therapy.
Other songs address love from just about every direction: The joyful surprise of having a friendship turn into a sweet romance is expressed on "Love Story" ("It's a typical love story / We started out as friends…the boy you never wanted just steals your heart / I never saw it comin' 'till I fell so hard"). Other songs address tougher emotional terrain: "I'm over your lies and I'm over your games / I'm over you asking me when you know I'm not OK" ("Over it") and dealing with the aftermath of a bad relationship ("Dangerous"). "Better off Alone" is an anthem to independence in the wake of a disappointing love affair.
Lyrics skirt on the edge of innuendo, but are really pretty tame. They're also occasionally really well-written, and always well-performed.
Fans may also like Kellie Pickler, Kelly Clarkson, and Clay Aiken.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentJust a bit of innuendo: "Put your hands on me just like a man" in "Do What You Do." |
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Social BehaviorAll over the map...alternately independent/strong and codependent. |
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Commercialism"Open Toes" celebrates shopping, whether or not you can really afford it, but no specific brand names are mentioned. |
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