David Archuleta, "Begin"
Just before he went on a two-year mission, Morman singer David Archuleta knocked out his new “Begin” — a collection of songs that are spiritual in nature, though not generally religious.
It’s a nice gesture, though it’s still a cover album. And at 21, Archuleta isn’t quite the veteran at life who can muster the emotional depth dictated by some of these songs.
But the “American Idol” runner-up from 2008 makes a noble go of it. “Begin” is tasteful, dignified and understated, and Archuleta pulls off some surprises with his silky, sweet vocals.
He casts an aural glow of sincerity on Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful,” a graciously not-overdone version that resonates when he sings, “You are beautiful, no matter what they say.” He also delivers a deft take on Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know,” a smart, mid-tempo song choice that steers “Begin” away from a ballad badlands of monotony.
Naturally he’s confident and convincing on “Broken,” his solid original contribution to the collection, but Archuleta is almost shockingly effective on his rendition of U2’s “Pride (In the Name of Love),” which is glossier than the band’s version, but a suitable blend of earnestness and humility.
By contrast, the polished veneer gets in the way of his take on R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts” (which works best in the softer, simpler parts), and Archuleta and guest vocalist Libby Linton are in over their heads trying to tackle the Peter Gabriel/Kate Bush classic “Don’t Give Up.”
Still other tracks — a tender cover of Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel,” a relaxed version of Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors,” a respectful take on Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” — come off a bit flat, and listeners will likely compare him unfavorably to the original artists.
However, Archuleta compensates for his lack of soul with a beautiful voice and a lot of heart.
Rating: 3.5 stars (out of five)
© 2012, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Comments » 3
violet4ever writes:
I love the whole album. My favorite tracks are Broken and David's covers of Beautiful (I love the soulful final part of this), Everybody Hurts, Don't Give Up (hauntingly wistful) and Angel (in his soothing voice). I love David's voice. In the 10 weeks before his mission, David worked so hard - was leading man in a Philippines miniseries, recorded an unplanned OPM cover album in the Philippines (Forevermore - classic love songs) and recorded BEGIN in the US, working through the night before his mission. He thought he might have time to record a few songs, and he left us so much more music as well as a piece of his heart. His good fans will be waiting when he returns to music.
bankergin1 writes:
I think that you should sit down and listen
to Begin again. I think you missed it all.
David Archuleta always sings with passion and puts every thing he can into a song. If you know what each song means to David you would have to say what an awesome album he put out. We will all be waiting for him when he returns in #DA2014.
Ardy64 writes:
Boy, I really think the reviewer didn't listen to the album much...it's full of soul, passion, and love. He connects with most every song. "BOTW" is better than about all who have attempted it (including S & G) and it's beautifully sung as well. His soulful rendition of "Angel" is amazing as well as "Everybody Hurts" (although I could've done without the last part which didn't fit with the rest). I DO agree that "Don't Give Up" was a bit muddled & therefore, noninteresting.
I'm not too sure why the reviewer didn't feel the emotion in these songs....It's all over the album and tastefully done as well. I think David's life experiences which have been tough at times effectively guide him in his interpretations.
Why don't you give it a few more listens...Most all of the songs are terrific....You missed a lot!
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