By Lindsay Christ and David Gordon
David: “Wish,” Sutton Foster’s debut album, is very pleasant. It’s the kind of album that you want to hear when you want a good night’s sleep. She’s a wonderful singer, but she didn’t pick songs that keep listeners interested or awake.
Lindsay: Foster won a Tony award for “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” and has been in musicals like “Little Women,” “The Drowsy Chaperone,” “Young Frankenstein,” and is currently in “Shrek, the Musical.” Her melodious voice is pure Broadway gold: smooth and clear with impressive range.
On the few upbeat songs she dazzles, and is equally good on the slow ones. If there had been more of a mixture of the two, the album would be great.
David: The ultimate problem is the song choices. It’s not that they’re bad (it’s a blend of obscure show tunes like Frank Loesser’s “Warm All Over” and pop hits, Carole King’s “Up on the Roof,” it’s that they’re too safe. This album typifies Foster’s milleau, Broadway. Risky it isn’t. Not by a long shot. And that’s unfortunate, as one of the pre-eminent Broadway leading ladies of the day isn’t proving that she can sing anything other than what she’s comfortable with.
Lindsay: While I agree with young DG, I also think that Foster is probably sticking to show tunes because that’s what her audience likes, and probably what she likes. While I would love to see her do a Tupac medley, that doesn’t seem likely, and her fans would probably not go for it.
That being said, it was definitely disappointing that she really only sang ballads. There are plenty of peppy show tunes that she could have used to spice up the record.
Her rendition of “Up on the Roof” is the standout of the record, as she adds a slow lackadaisical touch to the pop classic. Another strong track is the upbeat, “On My Way,” which ended the constant monotony of ballads. The song was perfect for Foster, since it showed off her amazing range. The jazzy, cheeky “Air Conditioner” is also an enjoyable listen.
David: That it took so long for Foster to release an album is a crime. She should have at least three or four on shelves by this time. She could easily be a rival for the equally sweet-voiced Jane Monheit.
I forgive Foster for her overly safe choices on this, her first album (though her rationale for choosing songs like “Air Conditioner” should be included in the liner notes). Hopefully her next one will include something like Lindsay’s Tupac medley. It would be a fascinating experiment, to say the least. Judging by Foster’s talent, I can already imagine that a daring choice or two could prove to be an epic success.