Campbell: Tuned In: Allison Iraheta, Susan Boyle, Andy Caldwell

Soulful voice lifts Allison Iraheta’s debut

“JUST LIKE YOU,” Allison Iraheta (19/Jive)

Season 8 of “American Idol” will be remembered for Adam Lambert and his shocking loss in the finals to Kris Allen.

Allison Iraheta? She was a superfluous contestant, the teen rocker destined to lose eventually (and lucky to have made the final four).

Funny thing, Iraheta’s new debut “Just Like You” is more genuine than Lambert’s recent “For Your Entertainment” and more adventurous than Allen’s recent “Kris Allen.”

“Just Like You” isn’t superior overall to those other two releases, but it establishes the 17-year-old California native ahead of the general “Idol” pack of wannabes, a worthy successor to Pink and Joss Stone.

Her throaty voice is a rare commodity, projecting natural soul. And it’s generally packaged well: Uber-producer Max Martin sends her bouncing between rocker-chick and electro-pop on the catchy, Avril Lavigne-ish “Friday I’ll Be Over U,” and “Robot Love” enthusiastically incorporates Gary Glitter’s “Rock And Roll Part 2” into the foundation as she channels a mildly androgynous, young Janis Joplin. Meanwhile, her pipes are built for the demands of the violin-supported grand ballad “Scars” (“It doesn’t matter who you are/We all have our scars”), and even if her voice is all over the place on “Don’t Waste the Pretty,” her heart is in the right spot as she sells a message of encouragement.

Although Iraheta is pushed into blaring on a smattering of over-reaching cuts, only the formulaic title track and “Still Breathing” fall flat. Plus the button-pushing “No One Else,” co-penned by “Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi, proves DioGuardi has infinitely less talent as a songwriter than most “Idol” contestants do as singers.

All in all, “Just Like You” gives Iraheta a solid start to a promising career.

Rating (five possible): 3

Susan Boyle’s ‘Dream’ lacks personality

“I DREAMED A DREAM,” Susan Boyle (Sony)

Some were so mesmerized by the video of Susan Boyle singing “I Dreamed a Dream” on “Britain’s Got Talent” that they spent hours watching it repeatedly on YouTube. Those same people are probably loving her new debut, “I Dreamed a Dream,” because it has that same repetitive feel.

Boyle’s voice is incredible, and it’s thoroughly exploited on the release. However, the collection of mostly cover songs ultimately proves to be a humorless, antiseptic environment for the singer, revealing little of the personality she showed in the video.

To its credit, the material is serviceably varied, and Boyle is particularly adroit at nailing the chorus of the Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses” as well as the resilient tone of Madonna’s “You’ll See.” Meanwhile, “I Dreamed a Dream” attempts to tap into the singer’s seeming child-like innocence as she covers “Daydream Believer,” though her piano-ballad rendition is lifeless compared to the Monkees’ hit version. (In contrast, Boyle’s take on “The End of the World,” a smash for Skeeter Davis in 1963, captures the desperation of the original.)

Thematically, Boyle is consistently presented as a faith-filled underdog — which may be both accurate and endearing, but it limits her emotional dimensions. “You’ll See” and her effectively restrained cover of “Cry Me a River” are the only times she shows noteworthy fight.

Also, Boyle squanders her opportunity to proclaim her faith by rotely covering two of the most obvious songs, “Amazing Grace” and “How Great Thou Art.” And throwing in “Silent Night” at the end seems especially mercenary with Christmas looming.

The standard arrangements do an even greater disservice to Boyle than the song selection, wrapping her in cloying strings and occasionally pushing her along with a gospel choir. There’s hardly any effort made to distinguish the instrumentation, and consequently the songs just run together.

For all the technical beauty of “I Dreamed a Dream,” there’s an emotional void that makes it feel almost empty.

Rating: 3

DJ Andy Caldwell struggles to find his voice

“OBSESSION,” Andy Caldwell (Uno/Tommy Boy)

It’s funny how many talented DJs can be so crafty at deconstructing and reconstructing music yet have no sense of what makes a good vocal. But then, a math nerd may be great with numbers and terrible at interpreting something emotional, like literature.

California DJ Andy Caldwell runs into this problem on his new “Obsession,” a brooding departure from his previous work that parallels his recent interest in European house music. He precisely concocts penetrating grooves to go with his dark new bent, and then he drops in a random assortment of guest vocals seemingly as afterthoughts.

Singers such as Gina Rene and Femke deliver generic vocals on “Fear My Pride” and “What Do You Feel,” respectively, undercutting his rhythmic rolls with blandness. Meanwhile, Storm Lee’s histrionic voice wafts through the air of “Black Diamond Sky” like spoiled seafood, creating a ridiculous juxtaposition with the invigorating arrangement.

Fortunately, Caldwell has more welcome guests — like Gram’ma Funk, who shouts along to the high-octane drive of “Funk Nasty,” and Mr. V, whose suggestive rap is an ideal match for the sensual and primal rhythm of “It’s Guud.” Alexander Sky appears twice with mixed results: His quirky delivery is well-suited for the poppish whimsy of “Don’t Go Home Tonight,” though his more calm demeanor on “Time After Time” creates a sense of mundanity.

At any rate, those who can overlook the vocal failings of “Obsession” and concentrate on Caldwell’s cadences will be hypnotized by his mastery of rhythm, especially since most tracks click past the six-minute mark, giving them time to burrow into the brain. His sweaty set is often propulsive and resonant with electricity, but spaced out with simmering breakdowns.

Too bad he wasn’t as meticulous about his choice of singers.

Rating: 3-1/2

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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