Album A Day: David Cook – David Cook

If you’re a regular visitor to this blog, you’ve probably noticed a significant lack of discussion related to this season of American Idol, especially when you compare it the attention VLM paid to last season. No, I don’t apologize for this oversight. I had no interest in paying anything but the most general attention to the show this time around. I have a couple reasons for this attitude:

1. I’m fairly convinced that the series is to some extent rigged. Now, I’m not suggesting that the show’s final outcome is completely predetermined. I do, however, think that the series’ producers have their favorites who they want to see in the Top 10 at the very least, if not sooner. The early stages are almost certainly staged. Think about it; record labels are wagering millions of dollars on these artists being successful. Do you think they’d be making that risk if there was a chance that a subpar singer with enough charisma to develop a humongous devoted fanbase of voters could be a Cinderella story? No way. Plus there’s the ratings element. Last season had the built in subplot of a potential David vs. David finale, so in the Final 3 Syesha Mercado got thrown under the bus mercilessly. You’ve seen a vaguely similar occurrence this time around. Everyone has decried the dismissal of Alison Iraheta in the name of an all-male final 3. But let’s face; nothing short of a positive steroids test was going to keep Adam Lambert out of the finale. Guy could have gone up and sang while numb on novocaine and the judges would have fallen in love with it. So yeah, definitely some scripting going on behind the scenes.
2. I can’t bring myself to give a crap about the finalists. Adam Lambert strikes me as Pete Wentz without the irony and a much greater perceived self-importance. And Kris Allen picked some interesting songs, but not so much so that I’m compelled to root for him.
3. I haven’t gotten over how badly the show and record label bungled David Cook’s victory and debut album. It’s like he won, released the subpar “Time of My Life”, then pretty much dropped off the face of the planet till the album came out. When next the world saw him, everything that made Cook so likable during the competition had been sucked out of him. There was no more real rockstar quality to him. He was a processed pop-rock clone with little personality to himself or his music. And the album sounded like an atrocious attempt at recreating Chris Daughtry, but without the chip Daughtry carried. So really, he was just a dude with an allright voice who got to sing some songs written by rockstars. Not a formula for a long-term career. But Cook could have been so much more. Maybe he couldn’t have matched his idols in Our Lady Peace or Soundgarden, and maybe not even Daughtry, but he was better than that misfire of a record made him appear to be.

So yeah, not watching the finale tonight. If anyone wants to have a discussion about Idol, be it this season or previous seasons/winners, go forth and comment!

David Cook – Light On [iTunes] (YSI)

==TJ==