By Elyssa Goldstein
If the American Idol audience was a team in the National Hockey League, it would currently have a record of 2-2-1. America got it right with Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, had to choose the best of the worst with Fantasia Barrino, and failed miserably with Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks.
Yes, Katharine McPhee is the second runner-up in Idol history to outdo the winner in every aspect, especially in pure talent. However, McPhee is the first contestant to completely turn her back on her television image with the release of her self-titled debut record.
McPhee conjured up an image of a beautiful, down-to-earth balladeer on Idol, as opposed to the sexy, sultry R&B songstress she portrays (convincingly) on her debut. McPhee has the type of voice that can seamlessly transcend genre lines, but her true introduction to the world should have come packaged with a warning label: nothing like you thought she was.
Comparisons to vintage Mariah Carey abound, especially on “Not Ur Girl” (one of three tracks McPhee co-wrote), but the subtler vocal homage to current phenomenon Rihanna (“Over It”) and a compositional style echoing Nelly Furtado (“Dangerous”) seem more appropriate for this record. The opening track, “Love Story”, and much of the backing vocal arrangements could fit easily on a Joss Stone record, but yet compared to its Idol roots; this album is a groundbreaking original.
McPhee worked alongside industry legends such as Walter Afanasieff (Celine Dion, Ricky Martin, Savage Garden), John Shanks (Michelle Branch, Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban) and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds (Toni Braxton, Eric Clapton, Whitney Houston) to create an eclectic album of dance beats and ballads (“Home” and “Better Off Alone” showcase the impressive range, power, and control McPhee was originally noted for). However, there are a few too many forgettable tracks (“Open Toes”, “Each Other”, “Neglected”), which prevent McPhee’s album from truly soaring.
Success will follow McPhee wherever she goes, but the true test of her talent will come in her ability to overcome the fans she may have abandoned with a radical style alteration. Striking the right balance between R&B and pop might prove more beneficial for her sophomore effort, but in the time before that day arrives, McPhee will command the spotlight with her incredible commitment to a musical style she both loves and becomes on her debut album.
3 STARS
