Review: Kelly Clarkson "My December"

We can sum this up real quick: Clive was right, Kelly was wrong. Oh, so wrong.

In case you are not familiar with this, record producer extraordinaire Clive Davis and his American Idol star Kelly Clarkson got into a rather heated and public debate regarding the songs for her third release, "My December," which saw the light of day in June 2007. Kelly Clarkson is undeniably one of the greater vocal talents these days, and she probably got a bit of a big head with the utterly successful "Breakaway" CD. She has every right to feel proud of that record, but should not lose sight of the fight that song choice is a big key to success (you'd think she would have learned that as many times as they say it on American Idol!). But lousy and forgettable songs are not the only flaw this CD suffers. Kelly's vocal stylings just seem to wander aimlessly, and despite the intensely personal lyrics, they don't pull me into her world.

I heard how much negative press the CD received, but just could not bring myself to believe it could be THAT bad...but sadly, it is. There are only a few tracks I would say are marginally acceptable. Case in point...there is something about the last track (Irvine, not the bonus track) that engages me. In this hushed and sparse coda to the record, Kelly sounds wonderful, her soul and vulnerability can be felt, and it left me with a feeling that she can redeem herself.

I love the fact that Clarkson veered more towards a rock edge with "My December," but I hate that she sacrificed pop sensibilities. She should shoot for having the best of these worlds on her next release...or she'll end up shooting herself in the foot.

iPOD-worthy: 1, 4, 5, 13

Kelly Clarkson on MySpace. Official Site.

Check out the video for "Never Again"