David Cook's Record Everything We Thought Nickelback's New One Would Be

Finding a copy of David Cook's self-titled record proved much harder than I initially thought. My usual seedy sources came up short, and the leak that was circulating above ground was of poor quality. So it was only yesterday when I finally got to listen to the bugger. In truth, knowing what I know now, I probably could've stood to wait a bit longer.

David Cook's post-American Idol record is exactly what so many feared it would be. The rock influence that won Cook so many fans on Idol is virtually nonexistent on the album. In its place is shlocky, paint-by-numbers radio fare that has a decent shot on radio, but is utterly devoid of the balls that Cook displayed earlier this year. "Declaration" sets the stage for the rest of the album with a below-average anthem in the vein of Collective Soul and Nickelback. Except its nowhere near the quality of either. "Permanent" is as dry and boring as a ballad could possibly be, and "Life on the Moon" is an awkward, unimaginitive affair. Nothing on this record, not the songwriting, not the music, not a damn thing matches up to Cook's work with Axium or the oft-bootlegged Analog Heart.

The album is saved from completely crapping the bed with glimmers of hope like "Bar-Ba-Sol" which actually shows off some testosterone in its up-tempo pace and less than pristine drums. "A Daily AntheM" is perhaps the most honest moment we hear on this record, a slightly better than expected tribute to Cook's brother (the capitalized letters spell lil' Cook's name). But even that doesn't match up to "AC", the song he did with Axium. And Cook gets his growl back on on "Kiss on the Neck", perhaps the finest overall track in this set. There's one problem though; "Kiss on the Neck" is the hidden track, appearing ten minutes after the last song. David Cook feels mismanaged, overproduced, and ultimately underwhelming.

As I tend to do in moments like this, I blame the label. Cook's label wanted so badly to score some cash in the form of radio play that they abandoned what made him popular in the first place in favor for their tired, established method. The songwriting, which Cook helped with, is good, but not nearly as good as anything Cook has written by himself (see: Analog Heart). The extra 'help' on the record makes it sound less like Cook himself and more like the people who got to put their hand in the cookie jar. It basically comes down to there being too many "Cooks" in the kitchen, when in reality one could've done a much better job. I can only hope that Cook gets another record and take the few successes from this botched, forced attempt and use them as a new foundation.

I can't believe I'm about to type this next sentence, but here goes. If you find yourself with 10 bucks to burn on music tomorrow, skip over this and pick up Nickelback's new album. It's far more consistent, and believe it or not, it's much better written and performed than anything on this abortion of a record.

Final Score: 4.5/10

==TJ==

New Music: David Cook, The Killers, Snow Patrol, Britney Spears...

EDIT: All mp3 links on this entry have been removed after I got a message from Blogger announcing they had pulled the post for DMCA violation. At least they told me this time.

That's right...I added Britney Spears to the end of that list. And yes, I willingly listened to and paid attention to it nonetheless.

The Batshit Crazy One announced a new album, entitled Circus would be released by years end (date is sometime in December), and the lead single "Womanizer" made its radio debut earlier this week and quickly spread all over the interwebs. I think the best thing about "Womanizer" is the fact that for the first time in awhile you can hear a sense of enjoyment. Britney actually wanted to record this album. "Womanizer" sounds a lot like something that might've been on last year's Blackout, but again, with a bit more sincerity and commitment. While I wasn't enamored of Blackout, it's astonishing what happens when someone like Spears stops half-assing it and actually records something kinda fun. Listen for yourselves to the REAL version before a million remixes clog up the Hype Machine.

Britney Spears - Womanizer
(No, nobody forced me to type this)

The Killers, having wholeheartedly gotten their Springsteen on with 2006's Sam's Town, are coming back this November with Day and Age, produced by Stuart Price, alias Jacques Lu Cont, the guy who churns out surprisingly decent remixes of Killers tracks (google his version of "Mr. Brightside"). The song opens with the sort of 80s electronic feel that made Hot Fuss so loved, and that spacey, electronic sound is rampant for the whole track (perhaps a sign of what might be on the album?), but the lyrics, arguably what made Sam's Town at the very least a decent album, are right on that same vein. Having heard the track about a dozen times in the last week, I'd have to say "Human" ranks up alongside "Mr. Brightside" and "All These Things That I've Done" on the list of the best Killers songs. Day and Age is slated for release November 25th. "Human" is all over the interwebs now, and will see its official iTunes release this Tuesday.

The Killers - Human

I've already proclaimed my love for the new Snow Patrol single, but since Blogger pulled the post last time, "Take Back The City" is a great, driving rock song from Snow Patrol. The band said A Hundred Million Suns (out stateside on October 28th) will sound different from previous Snow Patrol albums, but "Take Back The City" sounds like pretty standard fare, and I still love it. So should you.

Snow Patrol - Take Back The City

Our worst fears my have been realized. David Cook's first single from his post-Idol debut album, "Light On" debuted on AOL last week and drops to iTunes this Tuesday. The track was written by Chris Cornell and a guy with ties to Hinder. Not worried too much yet, but the Hinder thing is a problem. Then I saw a picture they're using as publicity:

Bit problematic right? What happened to the guy who looked like he could do rock and roll? Truth is, I don't know. Because "Light On" is a serviceable track, but it lacks all the balls that Cook's Idol-performance material had. It sounds like average adult contemporary radio rock. Sure that means it'll sell millions of records, because its pretty safe and has Cook's name recognition on it, but guys like me who bought into the dude because he had some rock mentality are left a little cold. David Cook, you're now on notice; I'll still support you and hear the album, but please let this be a label ploy and let there be some real rock on the record. When I wrote this piece, I didn't want to be right.

David Cook - Light On

So I was wandering around some of the seedier parts of the interwebs looking for some music, when something came across my screen claiming to be the new Oasis album. I dove on it, because it seemed like the right move, but until then I hadn't heard about a leak. I haven't heard the tracks yet (I have however confirmed I didn't get virused), but I'm wondering if any reader has heard or seen the same. I don't think Liam Gallagher is smart enough to pull a Death Cab or Ben Folds*, but you never know.

*Death Cab for Cutie and Ben Folds both leaked fake copies of their newest albums as a trick for fans.

Speaking of Ben Folds, heard his new album (the legit version) this weekend; expect a review tomorrow or Tuesday, as well as a review for Jack's Mannequin's new record.

==TJ==

A Taste of What David Cook's post-Idol album WON'T Sound Like

After David Cook beat the fix odds to win American Idol this year, two things happened. First, a large number of people began to wonder if perhaps this was the beginning of Idol's return to actually giving a crap about music. Shortly after that (and even before if you knew where to look), material from Cook's self-released solo album and his pre-Idol band Axium found its way onto the internet.

Let's make sure we're all on the same page right now; There's no way in hell that David Cook's next album sounds anything like Axium. Based on his looks and apparent liking for 90s alt. rock music, you'd expect Axium to sound like a mishmash of guilty pleasure rock bands (i.e. Creed, Nickelback, Hinder). That might be the case from the waist up. But from the waist down Cook and Axium have more in common with Avenged Sevenfold than they do Nickelback. If that went over your head, I'm trying to say that Axium has balls. Songs like "Truth is a Gun" are raw, pure rock. There's nothing hiding the growl in Cook's voice, and the guitars are completely unleashed, as only those of a rock and roll band not on FM radio can be. On top of the great, surprisingly refreshing sound, Cook's songwriting isn't half bad, perhaps even better than Chris Daughtry's was during his Absent Element years.

Cook's solo album Analog Heart is a slightly different story. It's still got a sense of urgency and purity lacking in some of Cook's more famous contemporaries, but it's decidedly more uplifting and clean-cut. The closest analogy in terms of songwriting and production would be Collective Soul, both for better and for worse. Still, you have to hand it to David Cook on Analog Heart for writing music that's very nearly radio ready without showing any signs of the jadedness and greed that most of the Active Rock chart shows now (Looking at you, Seether and Puddle of Mudd).

Unfortunately, though, you're not going to hear any of that raw emotion and power and Cook's next solo album. Even though Cook could pick between another solo album or getting back together with Axium, record the album guaranteed him by the Idol win and he'd probably score huge on the Rock charts and possibly get some crossover love, Sony BMG* will NEVER let that fly. No, they're gonna go for the huge prize, meaning you're gonna get something safe, mindless, but frustratingly catchy. Meaning Cook can write all he wants, but odds are the label (and whoever took Clive Davis' place) will play it safe. Reports suggest Ryan Tedder (lead singer for OneRepublic) and Jesse McCartney are helping write the album. I'm guessing that might be one of the better scenarios. Imagine if Daughtry's album was written entirely by the folks who write Clay Aiken's stuff. Yeah. Are you terrified yet?

We saw what happened when Kelly Clarkson wrote decent material only to have the label squash it. David Cook has already proven he can write worth a damn. If Sony BMG* has any sense at all they'll give Cook some free range on this album. If not, then the best thing that can happen to Cook is to have the album tank so he can go it alone again. I hope it doesn't come to that, but then again, that's asking for a record label to employ common sense.

Axium - Truth is a Gun
David Cook - Don't Say A Word
David Cook - Time of My Life [iTunes]

==TJ==

*CORRECTION: As reader Henry was kind enough to point out, Cook signed to RCA, not Sony BMG. My bad. Henry also notes (shortly after calling my writing 'mindless dribble') that Cook has said in interviews that he wants to include some of his older material on the new album. Might be true, but what an artist wants and what a label will give can be two different things. See also: recent albums (and the botched releases thereof) by Kelly Clarkson, Fuel...even Jimmy Eat World. All albums that should have been huge for one reason or another that suffered disappointing sales. Cook can talk about his vision all he wants and I hope he does and I kinda hope I'm wrong, but there's plenty of evidence to suggest someone else will have a hand in David Cook's album.