Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Don't Believe the Rumors. "My December" Is Good...

Let me say this right from the start. “My December” is not a commercial album. Only a few of the songs are what I would call radio friendly. None of them have the same catchy hooks that made “Since U Been Gone,” or “Breakaway” smash hits.

But that doesn’t mean the CD is total garbage. In fact, it’s actually pretty good.

It’s just that “My December” sounds more like an Evanescence album than a Kelly Clarkson one…

Which I guess is why radio didn’t warm up to “Never Again”—not because it wasn’t good, but because it wasn’t Kelly. But in a world where a girl singing about her lip gloss produces a hit, I admire Kelly for trying to make music as opposed to making money…

Also after listening to the album, it’s clear why Kelly had to make the decision to cancel her tour. These songs are not meant to be rocked out in huge arenas. They’re meant to be shared in intimate settings as Kelly pours out her personal pain.

And boy, wouldn’t we all love to know the source of that pain…

The angriest song on the CD, “Never Again,” makes a great kick-off with its strong guitar intro and those scorching first lyrics, “I hope the ring you gave to her turns her finger green.” The song was written two years ago as a counterpoint to “Since U Been Gone” and “Behind These Hazel Eyes,” but because it was so angry, they didn’t include it on “Breakaway.” But Kelly felt it was the perfect beginning for this CD’s story arc.

And with the changing face of music these days, where songs like “U + UR Hand” and “Before He Cheats” spend months climbing the charts, RCA has made a HUGE mistake pulling their support for this one…

“Never” leads right into the hard-rocking intro of “One Minute,” the song Kelly did at the Daytona 500 in February. This song must be better live, because I didn’t remember it being this much of a mess. It eventually works out some of its problems, but I’m not sure I would’ve put it so early on the CD…

“Hole” is the third straight rocker, but it dissolves into three minutes of Kelly screaming about how she has a hole in her heart that she can’t fill…

Just when you wonder how much harder the CD can get, Kelly goes mellow with the second single, “Sober.” The song has a beautiful intro and it’s not bad, until it leads into Kelly screaming about the three months she’s been sober (She’s referring to an addiction to a guy, not alcohol or drugs.). After a few listens, though, it really grows on you and you realize that it’s not that much different than “Because of You.” However, I’m not sure that radio will agree…

The CD picks up again with “Don’t Waste Your Time,” which is actually catchy with Kelly’s hesitation to call the person she is singing to “friend” and then singing “Friend, what does that even mean?”…

Then it’s back to a more intense sound with “Judas,” the first of two songs whose title is not mentioned anywhere in the song. But considering the lyrics about deceit and betrayal, the title is definitely appropriate. The problem with this song is the strange ending…

“Haunted” is pure Evanescence (FYI, Kelly dated a former member of the group and co-wrote songs on “Breakaway” with their co-founder.). But that’s not a bad thing as the mysterious sound to the song works quite well, as Kelly wails “Where are you?” I could hear this one as a single…

“Be Still” is, just as the title suggests, a still and quiet song as the story arc starts to shift in direction. That arc continues with “Maybe” which switches from soft to hard. “How I Feel” is a catchy tune (and a possible radio hit) that reminds you a little of the Kelly we know, but it, too, suffers from a bad ending, which leads into the mess called “Yeah”…

But the CD recovers quickly with one of my favorite tracks, “Can I Have a Kiss.” Think “What’s Left of Me” or “Icebox” (the themes I mean) with a rock feel. It’s a good song that has some radio potential as well…

Then comes the closer, which is one of the most heartbreaking ballads I have ever heard. It’s called “Irvine” and as Kelly painfully asks “Are you there? Are you watching me as I lie on this floor?” it becomes obvious that the song is a prayer and a beautiful one at that. Kelly wrote this one after a tour stop in Irvine (thus, the title) where she was so exhausted and depressed that she cancelled her meet-and-greet (the only one she’s ever cancelled). The song truly makes you appreciate Kelly’s skills as a songwriter and a singer. Will it be a radio hit? No, but that doesn’t diminish its brilliance…

And just so the “My December” story doesn’t end on a somber note, Kelly adds a hidden track at the end of “Irvine” (5:15 into the song after a minute or so of silence, so keep listening) in which she seems to have finally come to terms with her breakup. “Baby, I can’t stand the sight of your face,” she sings in one of the best melodies on the CD…

Years from now, people will study “My December” and all the drama surrounding it and see that it made a major statement about music today. No matter how good the CD is—and it is good—it will not be a huge commercial success because it isn’t commercial and wasn’t recorded to be. So because it won’t sell six million copies like “Breakaway,” it will be deemed a failure.

And Clive Davis will look like a genius. And boy do I hate it when that happens…

I especially hate that all of the drama surrounding the tour and Kelly’s manager made me rethink my whole position in the Clive vs. Kelly thing. Well now I am totally back with Team Kelly, and I hope millions of others will be too…

“My December” hits stores Tuesday, June 26th. You can hear it online at www.mtv.com/music/the_leak...

Be sure to let me know what you think...