The Real Thing (by Bo Bice, Rock)

Bo (aka Harold Elwin Bice Jr.) emerged from season four of American Idol as a runner-up, but a runner-up with millions of fans pulling for him. His give-'em-all-you-got vocals and pensive good looks didn't hurt one bit, nor did the fact that this young man grew up in a family of professional musicians (his mom was in a group that performed at the Grand Ole Opry) and was a seasoned pro himself long before American Idol. It's because of Bo's musical credentials that THE REAL THING is a cut above most Idols' debut offerings. The sure-handed, consistent production values, hook-heavy power ballads, excellent (if not all that imaginative) musicianship, and emotion-packed vocals combine beautifully to deliver a slick and skillfully constructed album.

Big-gun co-producers and co-song-writers help the hooks keep on coming, and Bo does them justice with one full-tilt performance after another. The songs are well written and solid, if a little on the saccharine side for fans who long to hear more rootsy Southern rock from Bo. He's got the dusky vocal power to put himself across without the studio sweetening evident here, and it would be interesting to hear him try some simpler, funkier instrumental arrangements. Lyrics don't have that much to say, but some hook lines are catchy, like "Tell me what we got, tell me it's a lot, tell me it's the real thing...that keeps me hanging on." It's clear that Bo is the real thing -- a pro with a debut album that does him proud.

Released on: December 13, 2005
Label: RCA
Genre: Rock