First look at Katharine McPhee's sophomore CD

By all accounts, Katharine McPhee's eponymous 2007 debut was a misguided effort. The press materials over played her glamour looks, the off-the-shelf songs were all over the map, with nary a keeper and McPhee could never figure out who she was as an artist. The BMG album sold just over 350,000 or so copies and the American Idol:5 runner-up was justifiably dropped.

The good news for McPheever fans: Verve Forecast has picked her up and plans to issue her second album, Unbroken, on Jan. 10. The album was supposed to be out this month but has been delayed to the January date, presumably to give the label more time to promote. A first single, cowritten by Idol judge Kara DioGuardi (Had It All) hasn't exploded -- DioGuardi's prolific but not very good -- but Unbroken is a considerably more focused effort than the muddled Katharine McPhee.

Gone are the insipid songs about shoes and the ill-fitting R&B flavor of the debut has been excised in favor of a more appropriate pop/soft rock sound for the California girl.

 After one listen, standouts include the percussive How and Keep Drivin' (cowritten by McPhee). The disc closes with a cover of Melanie's chart-topping 1971 hit, Brand New Key. Album of the year material? Of course not. McPhee still doesn't sound like a distinctive song stylist. But improving's certainly a step in the right direction and I'm willing to give the disc more attention as the release date approaches.

The most striking element? Dig the new short blond hair. I don't recognize McPhee. Here's the cover of the advance CD.

 

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Comments

[Listener]

I disagree in regards to your comment "McPhee still doesn't sound like a distinctive song stylist." I too have heard the record and I feel like McPhee has finally found the perfect style for her voice and she sells it really well. While managing to keep every song different from the previous one (other records these days seem to sound like the same song over and over), the album still manages unifying quality and edge of coherence. That's a rare quality!

Granted, I see that you have only listened once and I do believe this is a record to replay a couple of times to fully appreciate each track. Overall, nice review!

[HC]

It's not meant to be a full review yet, way too early for that.
But, no, I don't hear, in her voice, anything distinctive. I don't think I'd hear this voice on the radio and say: "Now THAT'S Katharine McPhee, an ORIGINAL."
She's not there.
But an improvement on the awful BMG album of 07? Oh yes, considerably.
I'll listen to this one again with some interest.

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1072676362]

Mr. Cohen, I have to disagree with you in that I think Katharine's voice is very distinctive and I thought her first album was fairly good for being such a rush job. What I did want to point out though was that the album will be available starting Tuesday January 5, not 10.