Okay, well I don't know about you but while I may enjoy watching tv talent shows like "X-factor" or "Pop Idol", I don't really take them seriously. Let's face it, apart from perhaps Will Young and Girls Aloud, no artist who has won a show like this has gained particular credibility or great fame. And I haven't particularly wanted to listen to their music, beyond perhaps their first single.
Kelly Clarkson was someone I thought was going to be one of these people. Winner of "American Idol" her first single, the Christina Aguilera-penned "Miss Independent" was fantastic - I even bought it, and I don't buy singles as a rule! She had a great voice, undoubtedly, and was fairly photogenic to boot, but then she started releasing the inevitable boring ballads. I didn't buy her debut album "Thankful" but based on what I've heard people say about it, I didn't really miss much.
But when I fell in love with "Since U Been Gone" and then heard her new single "Behind These Hazel Eyes", I knew that her sophomoric album "Breakaway" was one I HAD to buy. Nearly every reviewer on amazon had rated it four or five stars, which is fairly rare - but I would probably have bought it on the strength of those two singles I liked anyway. And I'm so glad I did because it marks a huge change in Kelly's style and yet still manages to showcase
her beautiful voice unbelievably well.
1. Breakaway 2. Since U Been Gone 3. Behind These Hazel Eyes 4. Because Of You 5. Gone 6. Addicted 7. Where Is Your Heart 8. Walk Away 9. You Found Me 10. I Hate Myself For Losing You 11. Hear Me 12. Beautiful Disaster (Live)
Gone are the soppy ballads and they've been replaced by rocky-pop of varying styles, which will get you singing along passionately one minute, bouncing up and down a minute later. There's also no sickly sweet sentiment to the lyrical content, which is certainly refreshing. Talk of battling through heartbreak, walking away from useless relationships, hating oneself,or being one half of a destructive pairing feature heavily - I'm definitely preferring songs about the darker side of life at the moment, so it suits me just fine. I like to know I'm not the only one who has been through this stuff, so hearing about it makes me feel better. Maybe that's just me though!
The anthemic "Since You Been Gone" and the epic "Behind These Hazel Eyes" are instant hitters in terms of fantastic tunes - both songs that will work their way into your brain after one listen. The emotional content similar as they both seem to be about break-ups and trying to move on - but the former is more upbeat sounding with its insistent guitars (the opening chords actually remind me of a Feeder track!), while the latter is more dramatic and sad in musical style, while remaining rocky. People will compare it to Avril Lavigne's work probably but the fact is it is so much better (sorry Avril, but it's true!)
Other songs aren't quite as instant in terms of memorability but will have grown on you with just a few more listens. Prime examples of this are "Because of You" and "Addicted", both of which were co-written by Clarkson herself and former Evanescence member Ben Moody. They definitely have Evanescence influences on them. "Because of You" is a rocky ballad with hints of "My Immortal" (although I like Clarkson's version better!), a real tearjerker of a tune - and "Addicted" lives up to its name, a slow, almost bluesy type tune at some points which picks up towards the end. It's dark and atmospheric and cleverly written, comparing a destructive relationship to addiction - "I need a fix I can't take it/ just one more hit I promise I can deal with it/ I'll handle it quit it just one more time and that's it". At the moment, this has to be my favourite song on the album. "Hear Me" also has an Evanescence edge but Moody had nothing to do with this one surprisingly! Although Kelly did!
"Gone" is another fabulous grower of a tune, similar in style to "Since You Been Gone with an insistent, frantic feel to it. "Walk Away" also continues the upbeat-rock-style, with a catchy hook similar to Cameo's "Word Up" and a singalong chorus. With "You Found Me" Clarkson possibly treads on Michelle Branch's patch - this song wouldn't have been out of place on Branch's debut "The Spirit Room". In "I Hate Myself For Losing You" we are probably venturing closest to Lavigne's territory but only in terms of style. Avril's voice is not a patch on Kelly's!
In fact, speaking of Avril, she actually wrote the title track "Breakaway" - this song is a midtempo type tune which appeared in "The Princess Diaries 2" - and its actually my least favourite song on the album. It is one of the songs that has received the most praise in reviews but I find it kinda bland - it just sounds like numerous other songs by faceless girl singers.
I have listened to basically nothing else but this album all week, have hummed songs from it pretty much constantly when I'm not in my flat, and already know pretty much every word of every song off by heart. To me, that's a pretty good sign an album is fantastic, the fact it has got under my skin so completely. Nearly every song is superb, there's a nice variation of style within the rocky pop genre, I can identify with the emotion contained in most of the songs and Clarkson just sounds absolutely fabulous - she has a set of lungs far more impressive than most of her competition out there. If you are in any doubt of this, just listen to track 12, the live song "Beautiful Disaster" - I am completely in awe of her vocal talent. And extremely jealous!
As far as I'm concerned, Clarkson has proved herself a force to be reckoned with now and managed to shed the "American Idol" label - the talent show winner curse that has struck so many down before they've even taken off. If you like Michelle Branch, Sheryl Crow or Evanescence, there's something for you on this album. I just hope her talent is recognised in the UK properly now and she makes as much of a name for herself over here as she has managed to do in the U.S. - because unlike the pop puppets out there, she actually DESERVES the fame!
"BREAKAWAY" £8.75 from cdwow £8.99 from play.com £8.99 from dvd.co.uk
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Great review.I love this album , the songs are soo cool! x
eve6kicksass 25.04.2007 17:12
I'm sure she is fine, though at the same time, i cant support anything that American idol puts out because I cannot stand that program...outstanding review once again...Chris xxx
poopsie84 02.04.2006 23:46
Wow, what a great review! Everything you need to know about the album was here, the only thing missing was listening to it.
Very informative about the artist and her style as well as the musical content.
My fianceé also has this album and this review complements it beautifully!!
Advantages: No bad tracks, lyrics that actually mean something from a VERY tallented artist. Disadvantages: You can easily see the Evanescence and Avril lavigne influence
Advantages: Brilliant range of tracks, superb vocal talents, widely available on the internet. Disadvantages: Some songs a little too similar sounding to other artists.
blonde_girl774 02.11.2005 (02.11.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson
Advantages: Brilliant range of tracks, superb vocal talents, widely available on the internet. Disadvantages: Some songs a little too similar sounding to other artists.
blonde_girl774 02.11.2005 (02.11.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson
Sep 8th, 2005
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