Kleeman's Last Word

CD reviews Rockstar: Supernova and Daughtry

Two CD's borne from the world of reality television fare much differently. Chris Daughtry's self-titled debut Daughtry smacks a home run while the first offering from self-dubbed supergroup Rockstar: Supernova largely strikes out.


ROCKSTAR: SUPERNOVA
Self-titled
For those who feel the television spawned rock trio featuring Tommy Lee, Gilby Clark and Jason Newsted made a paramount mistake selecting make-up covered, throat singing Candadian Lukas Rossi as its frontman, the group's debut bestows a few surprises but mostly lives up to the dissapointment. Rossi bested South African native Dilana Robichaux, Australian Toby Rand and Icelandic rock star Magni Asgeirsson in the bid to front the rock conglomerate. Many, including this reviewer, felt Rossi's win was an anti-climactic, raping of a way to end an enthralling season that finished with some memorable performances. Though Rossi rasped, gargled and murdered rock classics all season long, his inferior vocal abilities may have been the perfect fit for the triad of rock misfits whose songs were crap-tastically stupid and primative. With massive help from acclaimed producer Butch Walker, the tunes come off better in the studio, particularly singles "It's All Love" and "Be Yourself and Five Other Cliches." The musical intricacies, solo breaks and layering that was sorely absent when the group debuted its songs on national television are finally found on disc. Rossi, who clearly had some expensive vocal lessons, manages to open his throat and actually sing on 90 percent of the album. Some of his attempts at fostering a sexy falsetto are well placed while other moments sound like a dying cat, suffering from an excessive helium high. The opening number, driving rocker "It's On" is the album's finest moment by a mile. The mid-tempo rocker sports a catchy chorus; "Let it shine on, even when the day is done and all the light is gone. However, the album's apex is eclipsed by the clunkers, the royalty of which is the putrid, 70s style ode to sex "Leave the Lights On." Clark's gag-a-rific 70s garage riff meshes well with the dumbo lyrics. "So come on and leave the lights on if that's your thing..." Yeah, Tommy, real mature stuff dude. Much of the album's successes are owed to Walker's glossy production. Rossi's own ballad, "Headspin," which was vomit-inducing on the show, sounds compelling here. However, the rest of the record is a stinky pile of shit. One that barely earns its right to be flushed down the toilet.

RATING: C-
MUST-LISTENS: It's On, Can't Seem to Light This Fuse and Headspin.

DAUGHTRY
Self-titled

Chris Daughtry winning the American Idol crown seemed a surer bet than E. Coli at Taco Bell or Texas remaining a red state. Idol fans were thrown a new one, when Daughtry faced a surprise fourth-place elimination. His face showed frustration and considerable grimmace. Seacrest said he was shocked when he first saw the results. Simon Cowell's mouth opened wider than a man undergoing a $1,000 cavity removal procedure. The rocker's journey on Fox's ratings juggernaut ended all too abruptly. His debut album, thankfully, contains all the zesty ingredients we would have expected from the North Carolina native. Daughtry assembled his own lineup of musicians for his band of the same name (Though frequently-hired studio musicians including Josh Freese--guy might set a Guiness World Record for the ridiculous number of popular records he's drummed on--and guitarist Phil X play on the record). Daughtry's sultry, dynamic and electric rock voice leaves us wanting more. Daughtry, who co-wrote or wrote a majority of the songs, navigates a broad roapmap of rock stylings with his impeccable vocal abilities. It's rare that a self-proclaimed rocker can splotch together a touching ballad like "Home" and a fist-pumping rocker like "What I Want," which features Slash, and make it work. The album sags in places from the overabundance of ballads, case in point the Zac Maloy (singer of the Nixons) number "Used To." Daughtry stands his tallest when he touts his aggravated vibrato during the album's heavier moments. That doesn't mean, however, that the bald, family-man can't acheive authenticity singing tenderly and openly about his wife and kids. If anything, Daughtry's blatant sincerity is as captivating as it is cliche.

VERDICT: A-

MUST-LISTENS: It's Not Over, Home, What I Want f/Slash, All These Lives

posted by Robert Kleeman @ 10:25 AM