High Hopes & Heartbreak (by Brooke White, Adult Contemporary)

Another American Idol alum -- season seven's endearing Brooke White -- is striving to keep the dream alive with her sophomore album, HIGH HOPES & HEARTBREAK. The record reflects White's personality, featuring pleasant songs about the highs and lows of romantic relationships without using explicit language or making graphic sexual references. For example, on the title track: "Everybody needs a a break / You know and I know we're worth it / Just a little give and take." And on "Smile": "It was good while it lasted / I know that I'll get past it / It's just going to take some time." White also includes a cover of the Kings of Leon song "Use Somebody."

This album demonstrates why White had a fairly successful Idol run but didn't make it all the way to the finals: though her vocal performance is good (if not outstanding), most of her songs sound the same. In addition to singing, she also plays piano, which explains why a lot of the songs include the keys. The singing/keys combination is nice once or twice, but it gets old on almost every song. The one song that sounds distinctly different -- the album's title track -- has a disco tone that doesn't quite work with White's folksy voice.  

Released on: July 21, 2009
Genre: Adult Contemporary