Each season of American Idol brings out another talent-filled?though often cliche-infused?star singer. Dodging the trite bullets of the pop prototype, the season seven champion David Cook brings his rocker personality to the stage.
On the heels of his American Idol win, Cook cranks out his self-titled album with passion and aggression. The kick-off track, ?Declaration,? hooks the listener in with a drippy guitar riff that soon builds up into a powerful chorus.
Following the passionate ?Heroes,? Cook shows off his dynamic voice in ?Light On.? Though the single didn’t impress me at first, the rising and falling vocals and guitars caused the song to grow on me.
Naturally for an American Idol winner, a lot of the songs purposely showcase Cook?s vocals, which fit the complex of a wolf, carrying both the rough brutishness and smooth agility of such a powerful animal. These two characteristics and a wide range give Cook a very appealing sound.
Unfortunately, the focus on Cook?s voice seemed to distract from the rest of the musical aspect in certain areas of the CD. Wavering a bit at ?Mr. Sensitive? and then crashing down at track eight, ?Lie,? the formulaic build of the songs start to get old.
The songs themselves are not bad, but their unwillingness to venture out from the shelter of comfortable music recipes create them to fall short of their potential.
Picking up the pieces at track ten, ?Avalanche,? produces a fervent ballad. As if trying his best to be gentle, Cook delicately wavers his voice, leaving some of his growliness behind.
?Bar-ba-sol? and ?Permanent? stood out to me the most. The heavy ?Bar-ba-sol? perfectly fits Cook’s post-grunge persona with crunching guitars and an irresistible beat.
?Will you think that you’re all alone when no one’s there to hold your hand? And all you know seems so far away and everything is temporary, rest your head?I’m permanent,? Cook cries out in ?Permanent,? a song he wrote about his brother, Adam, who is battling cancer. The light piano keys and sweet strings compliment soaring vocals in this stunning piece.
If the album had ended on the agreeable, though not very memorable, 12th track, ?A Daily AntheM,? I would have nothing left to complain about. Unfortunately, the producers decided to stick the hapless ?The Time of My Life? at the end.
The so-called ?single,? from the composition contest that accompanies Idol, fails to impress, stand out or showcase Cook?s vocals. It drifts along with cheesy background vocals and boring instrumentals and falls short of anything glorious whatsoever.
Despite a flimsy end, Cook rocks past the tight borders of the typical American Idol album. Overall, he shows a grand potential with his majestic voice, noteworthy instrumentals and rhythmic songs.
For additional information on David Cook and his Idol appearances, read Cassidy Hutchins’ May 22, 2008, article, “America crowns Idol winner.”
