Day 13: The Sounds of Writing Part 4

More albums is just what you(whoever you is?) wanted, so that is what I will bring you(again, you?).

6. Kelly Clarkson: All I Ever Wanted 2009

Easily the most pop centric title on my list, KC's forth and best album brought her back into pop's good graces. Not that her 2007 effort, "My December" was a bad album at all, it was just a departure(mild departure), from what everyone was used to. With that being said, it still produced my favorite song by her in, "Can I Have A Kiss". I should clarify, it was my favorite song by her until I heard her this album. Now I am going to have to change my number one to "I do not hook up". It may very well be the catchiest song ever produced.

Now I do realize that music like this is meant to be catchy and radio friendly, which it is, but there is something that Kelly just does better then everyone else. I don't know exactly what that "thing" is, but after seeing her in concert this past October I have a feeling it has something to do with her being the most normal performer I have ever seen. I say normal, because she seems so dorky and neurotic that it makes her seem like the loud girl at the library. Meaning, she is a little kooky but ultimately she is normal.

Back to the album though. "All I Ever Wanted" goes back to the similar sound of her 2004 smash "Breakaway", which means a bunch of fast paced pop/rock songs that put you in a great mood. She once again enlisted Kara Dioguardi and Max Martin for songwriting and producing respectively and even brought in Ryan Tedder and Katy Perry for a couple of tracks. You can especially feel Perry's involvement on "Long Shot", as it basically sounds like something off of her album. Kelly's voice is still a powerhouse though, blazing through much of the album with such ease that it makes you wonder how long she would have stayed hidden even without American Idol. I am very glad that this album was not only good, but that it was received so well from critics and audiences alike. I find it impossible not to like Kelly Clarkson and I think I can officially say she is here to say.

Though she might not be as current as Adam Lambert or as popular as Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson will always be my American Idol.

(That last sentence was for my cousin, KC Baby!)

5. Erin McCarley: Love, Save the Empty 2008

This album is proof positive that product placement, whether it be pop, food or music most definitely works. About a year ago I watched a movie trailer on the internet to the film, "He's just not that into you". The trailer was playing on the film's website and once the trailer ended, this incredibly catchy song started playing. The song I am speaking of turned out to be "Love, Save the Empty" by this artist I had never heard of before. Now I never did see that film, but about a week later I found out who sang the song and bought the album. Obviously the artist was Erin McCarley and that song was one among many on the album that were fantastic.

She is by no means completely original on this album, as much of it sounds very similar to Tracy Bonham, Anna Nalick and Rachael Yamagata among others. With that being said though, if you are going to take cues from anyone in this music genre, you chose wisely. My favorite tracks on the album are "Sticky-Sweet", "It's Not That Easy" and the ever catchy "Love, Save the Empty". To be perfectly honest with you, this would have been my favorite album of the year if it wasn't for the extreme similarities to those other artists. If I could show someone an example of my favorite kind of music, this album would be a good example.

Another reason this album stuck with me so much this year is because it was the album I was listening to when I visited some friends down south last summer. It was one of my favorite weekends last year and just popping this disc in brings back some great memories. The last and final thing I would like to mention about this album is that for about three seconds on "It's Not That Easy", she manages to channel a "When the Pawn.." era Fiona Apple. Now I have been searching for other artists that are similar to Fiona, as she is my all time favorite artist, and it is an almost impossible task. So finding someone who can do it for even a second was pretty exciting.

In closing, pick this one up if you like your pop music with a little edge and with a little less cheer. I can almost promise you that you will love this one.

That is all for now, I'll be back tomorrow.