My December - Kelly Clarkson > Reviews > My December...in June?!

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Some really great pop/rock songs, well written
Disadvantages:	Lyrics are quite negative, not very commercial

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Kelly Clarkson is the original American Idol. Back in 2002 she entered the reality competition and impressed the judges and the public so much that she ended up winning. Her debut single 'A Moment Like This' was written especially for her...however it has since been covered by last year's X Factor winner, Leona Lewis. Kelly then released her first album, 'Thankful' which went to No1. She has remained very successful, not only in America but also in the UK. Her second album, 'Breakaway' saw her develop a pop/rock image. This album led her to win two grammy awards.

I'm quite a big fan of Kelly and having owned her two previous albums I was really looking forward to her new album, 'My December'. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding this album as her management were not too happy with it, they even offered her some cash to replace some of the weaker songs with songs that were more commercial. However Kelly refused to do this, stating that she wanted to do things her own way.

This album is very personal, most of the songs were written during a really low point of Kelly's life so a lot of the lyrics are quite negative.

Never Again - This is the first single from the album, it's quite rocky and one of the few commercial tracks on here. The song is about her getting over her ex boyfriend and how she is glad that she never has to see him again, although she is envious that he has moved on with someone else, 'I hope the ring you gave to her turns her finger green, I hope when you're in bed with her, you think of me'. One of my favourites on the album.

One Minute - This has quite an electro-pop feel to it, quite different to anything Kelly has done before. The song has a rocky chorus, not really one of my favourites on the album but it's not bad.

Hole - Quite an uptempo song even though the lyrics are quite negative, 'There's a hole, inside of me, it's so cold, slowly killing me'. This song is definitely growing on me, I like the electric guitar sound during the chorus.

Sober - This song has been confirmed as the second single which I'm quite surprised about as it's not very commercial...it's fairly mellow, however the pace gets a lot faster during the end. Kelly's voice sounds great on this track and it is well written too, 'Three months and I'm still sober, picked all my weeds but kept the flowers'.

Don't Waste Your Time - This song is one of my favourites on the album, it's a great pop song and it wouldn't have looked out of place on Kelly's last album 'Breakaway'. The song is about not wanting someone to waste his time on her anymore, 'Don't waste your time on me my friend, friend...what does that even mean?'

Judas - As the title suggests, this song is about being betrayed. It's not a bad song, she kind of shouts the chorus though. 'Couldn't believe, couldn't believe, how you deceived, you deceived, I never thought you'd do that to me'.

Haunted - This is definitely one of my favourites on the album. The song is very personal though as it's about a friend of Kelly's who committed suicide. The music at the beginning of the song is so creepy, but it fits the mood of the song completely. 'Shocked, broken, I'm dying inside...where are you? I need you, don't leave me here all on my own', Kelly sings about wanting her friend back and how it's not fair that she has gone. I'd like to see this as a single, but as it's so personal I'm not sure it will be.

Be Still - This is quite a slow and laid back song, very easy to listen too...it makes a nice change from the rocky songs. It has a nice rhythm to it and the lyrics are nice too, 'Here's my hand and my heart, it's yours to take'.

Maybe - This is another slower song, although this isn't really one of my favourites...it does get a bit repetitive. 'Maybe' (haha) this song will grow on me.

How I Feel - Definitely one of the best songs on the album, it's a great pop/rock song, what Kelly does best. The chorus is so catchy, 'I get tired of believing, even sicker of pretending', the lyrics again are quite negative - it's written about how she feels like she's made a mess of things and how she's tired of pretending that everything is alright. Hopefully this song will be a single.

Yeah - Another very uptempo song and the guitars sound great in this, the chorus is quite funky...the song really reminds me of another song, but I can't think what it is!

Can I Have A Kiss? - This is an OK song, the chorus is quite rocky but it doesn't really do anything for me...it doesn't stand out on the album for me at all really.

Irvine - This song was supposedly written during Kelly's tour, at the time it was apparently one of the lowest points in her life and was when she was finding it hard to find people who really cared about her. The song is supposed to be like a prayer, 'Why can't you just take me? I don't have much to go before I fade completely'. The actual song is very slow, I actually find it quite boring.

Chivas - If you keep listening after Irvine, you will find this hidden song. It's worth a listen, but it's nothing really special. Her vocals do sound quite good though.

I must add that the artwork of this album is fantastic, especially the album cover which features Kelly in a long red dress sitting at the bottom of a creepy looking staircase, it's very dark and gothic looking...totally suits the mood of the album.

Overall it's not a bad album, it's not as good as 'Breakaway', but I wasn't expecting it to be. I do still recommend this album as amongst the few weaker songs there are some really great pop/rock tunes and the songs are well written...you just have to try not to focus to much on the lyrics as they are quite depressing!