| |
Music Review:
Daughtry, Daughtry
DAUGHTRY
1. It's Not Over
2. Used To
3. Home
4. Over You
5. Crashed
6. Feels Like Tonight
7. What I Want (featuring Slash)
8. Breakdown
9. Gone
10. There And Back Again
11. All These Lives
12. What About Now
JUICY TIDBITS
I have a confession to make: I haven’t watched “American Idol” since its fourth season, when an underwhelming finale saw Carrie Underwood beat out Bo Bice to join Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, and Fantasia Barrino in the winner’s circle. But even before then, “American Idol” had lost its guilty-pleasure luster, with contestants as bland and predictable as lunch at a high school cafeteria.
So why Daughtry?
Simply because I can’t get enough of the debut single, “It’s Not Over.” Fronted by ousted “American Idol” contestant Chris Daughtry, the band, which consists of Daughtry on lead vocals, Jeremy Brady and Josh Steeley on guitar, JP Paul on bass, and Joey Barnes on drums, formed in 2006 and went on to release its self-titled album in November.
Daughtry, who had previously appeared in the fifth season of the singing competition, was touted as a rock’n’roll messiah of sorts (next to season four’s Bo Bice), infusing the predominantly pop show with a hard edge and introducing fans to the finer points of rocking out. But when it came down to eliminations, Daughtry, the favourite, simply couldn’t compete with the awesomely average powers of Katherine McPhee, who edged out the bald singer to place in the top three.
Instead of disappearing into oblivion like so many other top twelve contestants, Daughtry went on to reach considerable fame, with his band’s album reaching number one on the Billboard charts. He also holds the distinction of being the best-selling Idol who was neither a winner nor a runner-up, and Daughtry stands as the fastest-selling debut rock album in Soundscan history, selling one million copies in five weeks.
With all these honours, is Daughtry worth all the fuss?
During the preparation for the album, Chris Daughtry spoke to US Weekly and mentioned that the album would not be pop. Instead, the album is unabashedly pop rock. Many songs rely heavily on pop conventions, with a few guitar riffs thrown in for the rock purists who need an edge. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Daughtry is anything less than genuine or authentic; a listen to “It’s Not Over” shows an obvious passion for the craft that’s hard to ignore throughout the album. The song – about fighting for love when it seems all hope is lost – is a combination of raw emotion and powerful guitar handiwork that meshes together to form one of the best songs on the album. And Daughtry has never sounded better, with vocals gruff and smooth all at once. The music video is also a welcome change from the usual self-indulgent debut video of most “Idol” contestants (and Daughtry, from most angles, is admittedly quite foxy).
Unfortunately, most of the singles on this album never come close to the greatness of “It’s Not Over.” There are many songs that become better with each listen, but in succession run the chance of sounding like one long track. “What I Want,” the seventh single from the album, is a refreshing variation from the others. Featuring the iconic Slash on guitars, the song is Slash all the way, with hard edges and melodically intricate riffs that resound from beginning to end, influencing everything from timing to Daughtry’s vocals. With invigoration, he sings his heart out on this one, proving that a rawer Daughtry is far better than a mellow one. It’s a far cry from Guns’n’Roses’ heyday, but it’s still a solid song with confusing lyrics – although the track is about being with the one you love, it does include lyrics like, “You’ve taken me, and shaped me to become what you want me to be,” which may sound romantic to some, but could also apply to many of Tom Cruise’s relationships.
Also worth a listen is “Over You,” a reprieve from the rock ballads on this album, with a faster beat and rapid-fire lyrics. “You took a hammer to these walls, dragged the memories down the hall, packed your bags and walked away…When you slammed the front door shut, a lot of others opened up. So did my eyes so I could see, that you were never the best for me,” Daughtry sings. The words are simple but succinct, capturing the essence of a break-up to a tee. “There And Back Again” is catchy, with a beginning featuring hard guitar riffs reminiscent of Metallica. I have no idea what he’s talking about, but it works, although the song may be a little too hard-edged for the “American Idol” mainstream audience.
“What About Now” is a slower song with an intriguing piano start that tapers into melancholy guitar strings. The song ends up being average – something you might sing absent-mindedly along to on the radio – but it’s a fair effort at a rock ballad nonetheless. “Crashed” has staccato beats, and chords too reminiscent of Aerosmith’s early work to not make a comparison of the two. The single eventually grows on you, but has a weak end that mellows out too much for such a hard-edged song. Also, with feeble, head-scratching lyrics like, “But then you breathed your breath in me,” it’s hard to take the song too seriously.
What’s not so great about Daughtry is “Home,” which is a shoo-in to be the band’s second single. “Home” is slow, boring, and seems to drag on forever. With a country twist, the song, about being on the road and missing out the ones you love, is nothing short of conventional. Even through several listens, the impulse to fall asleep never ceases. “Used To” is also middling, a love song with strong percussion that’s kind of forgettable and all too strained. As the title suggests, the track is about love gone sour, with a soft, acoustic bridge to drive the point home. Daughtry tries to hit a particular note on “Used To” that does not sound good on headphones – or without, for that matter.
Bonus tracks on Daughtry include acoustic adaptations of “Home” and “Crashed,” which sound exactly like the studio version. With such liberal freedoms, it’s a bit disappointing that the band hasn’t experimented with these renditions. “Home” is just as boring and drawn-out as the original, while “Crashed” is as adequate as its original version.
As far as debut albums from “American Idol” has-beens go, Daughtry is a formidable attempt. The band’s debut effort is great as a diversion from the pop and R&B that is currently dominating the charts, but is ultimately an unremarkable album. While some tracks will garner a repeat on your playlist, most are forgettable and suffer from shaky middles. Still, Daughtry has established itself as an eager and talented group that, with a little perseverance, will go places. ¤ C.Ho.
DAUGHTRY:
(out of 5)