Daughtry

by

Daughtry

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Heads up everyone - I'm a Taylor fan. With over 200 reviews on Amazon, I wasn't going to add my own, but so many "fans" from Chris, Kat, and Taylors boards are on the other boards bashing their releases, that I wanted to give a representation of a true music lover and show you all that we're out there.

My wife liked Chris during AI but, with the exception of "Hemorrhage" I heard the same bland nu-metal from him every week. And I hate nu-metal. Then he sang one of my favorite songs of all time - "What A Wonderful World" by the incredible Louis Armstrong. How in the world could a one-dimensional metal singer pull off a signature song by one of the greatest jazz artists of all time? Amazingly well, as it turned out, because Chris Daughtry is anything but one dimensional. In short, while I still supported Taylor each week, Daughtry made me sit up and listen, wondering what he would do next. And they just kept getting better - his version of Queen's "Innuendo" will stand tall as one of Idol's greatest performances, in my opinion.

And then, thankfully, he lost. I say thankfully, because I knew if there was anyone who would benefit the least from being sterilized by the Pop Juggernaut that is American Idol, it was Chris Daughtry.

When the album was announced, I pre-ordered it (along with Hicks'), even though I knew it would be similar to Nickleback. I can't stand Nickleback, but I wanted to support him; Idol "losers" typically don't fare well in the US. I never expected to like it.

Now I've listened to it a few times and - surprise - it's damned good, and will probably become one of the strongest debuts in Idol history.

"Daughtry" is based in nu-metal, make no mistake about it, but it's so much more. Chris has written or co-written an astounding 9 out of 11 tracks (an unprecedented undertaking for an Idol debut) and he turns out to be a savvy writer. This is *melodic* music, with depth, passion, and creative melodies that are anything but the generic garbage we've grown accustomed to on the the radio the last few years. In fact, "Daughtry" may just bridge the gap between the music we're listening to currently and the next big thing to come. If anything, the catchy hooks and strong vocal lines (along with -OMG- actual *harmonies*) will inspire current and future artists to raise their game.

He also pays as much attention to the lyrics as he does the music, and this raises "Daughtry" even higher above the masses. In "Home" he sorrowfully states:

"No, I think you got me all wrong.

I don't regret this life I chose for me.

But these places and these faces are getting old,

So I'm going home"

while in "Breakdown" he brilliantly juxtaposes the figurative with the literal:

"Well, I'm sitting alone thinking about it all over coffee,

And still crowding my space are the things you still hold against me." This is a lyric from someone who has been writing a long time, and who takes his craft seriously.

Is it perfect? Of course not. The album as a whole tends to gel a bit too well. Too much of it features the same three chords played mid-tempo and, because of this, some songs tend to run into the next. Thankfully, there are some real gems here. "Home" shows how mature a songwriter he is, and "What I Want," featuring guitarist Slash, proves that he can hold his own as a rocker.

Holding the whole thing together are Chris' vocals: confident and gritty, yet crystal clear. And, of course, he has a wider range than almost any other rock vocalist out there today. Check out his background vocals on "There and Back Again;" when he screams out "Here's your moment to shine," he *means* it.

There is no stereotypical posing here, folks; Chris Daughtry is the real deal. As a Taylor fan - hell, as a *music* fan - I'm looking forward to his next release.