Clay Aiken
On My Way Here
3/5
Clay Aiken catupulted to fame on the second season of the massive hit TV show that is "American Idol". Although Aiken was runner up, this has not in any way hindered his career, indeed quite the opposite. His first album "Measure of a Man" went double platinum and the album he released in 2006, "A Thousand Different Way's” was also a big hit.
"On My Way Here" is full of new and original material and is based on the musical and personal journey Aiken has traveled over the past five years and also touches on what the future might hold. On this album he worked with British producer, "Kipper" and "Sting"; their influence is evident and the songs chosen for this album are very emotionally honest, as each one lyrically connects to Aiken’s inner thoughts and feelings, allowing you to share in his strengths and vulnerability, resulting in something quite compelling at times.
The first track on the album is the title song "On My Way Here", which is also the first single released from the album and was written by lead man Ryan Tedder from "One Republic" who have been greatly successful in the pop charts. Other stand-out tracks for me are "Something About Us", with strong lyrics and expertly sung as Aiken’s polished voice does this song justice as indeed he does on every other song on the album; one cannot fault his vocals or sincerity throughout this CD. "Falling" and "Where I Draw the Line" are more edgy with more of a soft rock feel to them and this gives the album a bit more diversity. "The Real Me" and "Sacrificial Love" are strong ballads that really connected with me, as did "Grace of God", which is slightly more upbeat in tempo!
If you are an Aiken fan then this album will not disappoint you. I find it hard to imagine that it will be appealing to the "Pop" market because it is so lyrically heartfelt and, in a sense, autobiographical; I think it will be much more likely to strike a chord with the more adult market. This is backed up by the "coming of age" feel to the CD as he is entering into the next chapter of his career, which I am sure will continue to thrive.
Rating this album is fairly difficult because, although it is full of good tracks, it is hard to imagine it will appeal to a wide market. I would rate it 3/5, a very heartfelt performance from Clay Aiken, which is going to leave his fans satisfied and yet wanting more.
+ Juliette Amor
May 6, 2008
