Jive
Pop, 2008
You know, I’ve always felt sorry for David Archuleta. He comes off like a very well-mannered kid who is unfortunately too short for Hollywood. Let’s not even start with his father. I have a feeling that I will find him a more interesting fellow when he tries to make a comeback in 2014 after some struggles with drug addiction and what not.
But still, his post-American Idol self-titled debut effort has plenty of good tunes to tide me until that kid reaches his second puberty. One thing I can’t deny is that this charming young man has a good voice that sounds even better in a recording studio environment. David Archuleta is wisely geared towards an audience that will appreciate happy and sunny pop songs, nothing too deep, but the songs here also showcase his voice very nicely.
The lead single Crush is a really cute song with a catchy chorus, the words bestowed a creepy stalker vibe that is actually pretty amusing considering the appearance of the young man performing the song. Touch My Hand is a calculated but nonetheless perfectly fine jingle about how dear Mr Archuleta really doesn’t want his 15-minutes to end because he’s actually singing for you, his dear sweet little member of the audience that he has fallen in love with during his performance.
But it is on slightly more melancholic songs where he gets to express his inner moony kid that he gets to shine the most. The chorus of Barriers is especially good – it’s one that I can’t get out of my head no matter what. If I don’t know that Mr Achuleta looks like a short fifteen-year old kid, I’d feel less guilty about thinking that he actually sounds… well, sexy on songs like the guilty pleasures Your Eyes Don’t Lie and Desperate. And no, My Hands is not what you think he is singing about, you pervert. His father wouldn’t allow him to sing about that, duh.
There is also a studio version of his cover of Robbie Williams’s Angel, although I personally would have preferred his underrated beautiful cover version of Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Memories.
This is a pretty admirable effort, all things considered. Of course, if you want depths, you shouldn’t be listening to this CD. David Archuleta is what it is – a well-produced collection of fluffy radio-friendly pop jingles that manages to do ample justice to dear Mr Archuleta’s mellow and smooth voice.
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