Album Reviews
Posted by Penny on Tuesday Nov 18, 2008 Under David Cook“Cook’s engaging, enthusiastic vocals bind it all. He’s especially impressive on the harder rocking cuts: ‘Bar-ba-soul’ is a standout. But even when he’s knee-deep in sappy sentiments, as on ‘Mr. Sensitive’ and ‘Life on the Moon,’ Cook manages to invigorate the songs with passion and warmth, the hallmark of a promising pop star.”
Today Mr. Cook celebrates the release of his self-titled debut album featuring first single “Light On,” which makes him an obvious choice for Crush of the Week. If his first music video is any indication, D.C. is well on his way to heartthrob status.
There are at least six singles on David Cook, not counting ‘The Time of My Life.’ If commercial radio is part of your daily life, be prepared to start hearing these songs soon and often. When you do, remember it’s the sound of a local boy making it really big.
Cook tells the Los Angeles Times “the whole songwriting process was about how this is going to parlay live. I wanted big, open songs; I wanted those U2 bridges that could go on for a day and a half and the crowd would just eat it up. And I feel like we pulled it off. A lot of these songs are just very, very big. I love it.”
You’ll search in vain for a spark of originality, but you will find a degree of poignancy in songs concerning Cook’s cancer-stricken brother, Adam (’A Daily AntheM,’ whose capitalized letters spell out his name, and especially ‘Permanent,’ a moving semi-ballad).
Cook is hoping listeners have a similar experience when they listen to the rest of “David Cook,” which comes six months after he snagged the “Idol” crown. Recorded in a span of 10 weeks, it’s packed with power ballads that accentuate his anthemic voice.
