The debut album from Daughtry (named for lead singer and American Idol castoff Chris Daughtry) stands out as one of the best successes the show ever had, moreso than any of its actual winners. When I first heard Daughtry, I was sorely disappointed. After hearing clips of Daughtry’s Idol renditions of “Hemorrhage (In My Hands)” and Shinedown’s “I Dare You”, I expected a much harder sounding record, but was met with some of that sound meshed with more pop-friendly numbers. It wasn’t until I heard an EP of live performaces released to iTunes a few months later that the songs took on a new life.
Daughtry’s biggest problem is that its songs are too small in comparison with the band performing them. Chris Daughtry has a hell of a voice and could turn these songs into monstrous rockers given the chance. Likewise the band clearly wants to color outside the lines of prepackaged hits like “Used To” and “What About Now”, but is constrained by an outsider’s need to keep the songs radio-friendly. The heavier moments of the album, tracks like the Slash-assisted “What I Want” and “There And Back Again” give glimpses of what this band could be, but the songwriter’s not named Chris Daughtry keep covering the rock up in a friendly chrome finish. Hearing the songs on the aforementioned live EP they take on a different life. Daughtry’s growl comes through in ways that the album’s production cover up. In addition, the band has taken their own rightful place on these songs, rather than just letting Daughtry carry the music on his back.
The moral of the story here is that American Idol inadvertently gave themselves a huge success in sending their token rock guy home in Season 5. Daughtry not only spawned a slew of hits that are still getting radio play, but it was also an artistically sound debut album, one that shows that there’s still a high ceiling for this band if they can break away from corporate constraints.
Daughtry – There And Back Again [iTunes] (YSI)
Daughtry – Wanted Dead Or Alive (Bon Jovi Cover) (YSI)
(a gift…for your collection)
==TJ==
Filed under: Album A Day | Tagged: Album A Day, Daughtry
