The Bottom Line If you enjoy bands like Nickelback, Fuel, and Shinedown then Daughtry is an excellent choice. Perfect? No. But definitely entertaining.
Full Review
I don’t know who Chris Daughtry is. I have no idea what he looks like, what he sounds like, and where he came from. Of course if that were true I would also be living in some monastery in Tibet. Instead I’m a Michigan girl with DirecTV and I am well aware of his origins. I’m also well aware of the fact that I enjoyed him on American Idol and that he has a penchant for all things Live and does a terrifyingly accurate Scott Stapp impersonation. That said, it is my job as a reviewer to throw all preconceived superficial notions out the window and judge Daughtry on his own merits in his debut.
Before I go too far, I want to say that Daughtry (the guy and his band) are rock and roll. If you’ve loved albums from other American Idol alums you’re not necessarily going to jump on his bandwagon. It’s not hard or aggressive rock music, but rock music nonetheless. The “rocker” also has a band to back him—Josh Steely, Josh Paul, Joes Barnes, and Jeremy Brady. That said it is Chris who is at the center of the album as evidenced by the music and by the prominence of his picture in the liner notes. The band is indeed for show as it was put together after the album was recorded. Is it for credibility’s sake? Who knows, but I don’t think it matters a heck of a lot.
Daughtry (or DAUGHTRY as the official capitalization goes) is very serious about his craft. His lack of smiles and humor on American Idol was often mentioned. It carries over to his debut. What also carries over to his debut is that he really wants to be a rock star. It’s hard to go from a pop television show to a rock album and gain any semblance of respect from the intended audience. I am definitely impressed that Daughtry has done as well as he has without any apparent self-parody. It is pretentious to go into an album with such confidence, but for some reason it works.
There’s no question where Daughtry gets his inspiration—bands like Nickelback, Creed, and Fuel are most obvious. These are rock songs rich with guitars and drums and injected with a good bit of pop. This is a guy who writes songs full of great hooks and melody ready made for mainstream radio. I prefer my rock and roll with sharper teeth and grittier production, but I still enjoy Daughtry.
Album opener It’s Not Over is a gutsy mid-tempo rocker. The vocals are richly textured and the guitars are nice. It’s certainly very, very commercial but I can honestly say I’m not as annoyed by Daughtry as I am by, say, Shinedown. I much prefer the faster, more energetic songs over those that are ballads. Used To and Home are vaguely emotional. I think the main issue with this kind of track is that Daughtry’s complete lack of humor is even more evident. He sings as if what he’s saying is gospel.
Fortunately Over You is slightly more entertaining. Once again, it is slow and meant to be evocative but the sound aside from the vocals is playful. I like playful. Feels Like Tonight is slightly different than the other offerings. The guitar is lightly plucked and Daughtry’s vocals soar. It is a very uplifting song—and one of my favorites of this album. What I Want is also one of my favorites. The singer-songwriter’s roots are showing with the fast, furious delivery. This is definitely a rock track ala Nickelback and could easily land on radio like many of the other prospective singles. It also features work from Slash.
Breakdown is definitely the prettiest and most honest feeling ballad. It is soft and delicate at the same time it dangerously close to going over the edge toward something darker. It is the only ballad by Daughtry I can say I like. Speaking of things I enjoy, There and Back Again is along with It’s Not Over the best song of this album. I love the energy and grit. All These Lives has an outstanding hook but it just doesn’t attract me on the same level.
Daughtry isn’t the most intelligent or the most versatile album I’ve heard in the past year or even month, but it is pleasant. I wish he could be a little less serious and maybe break from the mold a bit more but as far as debuts in this pop-rock genre go it is definitely worth buying. Fans of the bands mentioned above will find solace with the American Idol singer’s eponymous debut. Enjoy, but be forewarned that you may too lose your sense of humor with too many repeats.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. It’s Not Over
02. Used To
03. Home
04. Over You
05. Crashed
06. Feels Like Tonight
07. What I Want
08. Breakdown
09. Gone
10. There and Back Again
11. All These Lives
12. What About Now
Muze: Copyright 1995 - 2008 Muze Inc. For personal non-commercial use only. All rights reserved.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2008 Shopping.com, Inc.