Kelly Clarkson – Thankful – CD
Kelly Clarkson, the toothsome winner of the first American Idol competition shows that her win was no fluke. On Thankful, she blithely skips through octaves and genres like a seasoned pro, belting out power ballads such as the hooky “Low” and the Diane Warren-penned “Some Kind of Miracle” with the aplomb of Pat Benatar in her prime. Clarkson tackles the neo-gospel “Anytime” without flinching, then shows some dirty street cred as she growls through “Miss Independent”, a song she penned with Christina Aguilera. But Miss Independent would be a gross misnomer, despite the fact that Clarkson cowrote four of the album’s tunes. Clarkson not only had uber record exec/executive producer Clive Davis at her disposal, but an arsenal of producers and songwriters to make sure she didn’t make a creative misstep. Despite Clarkson’s sublime vocal talents, excessive gloss at times overwhelms the quirky charm and personality she displayed on American Idol. –Jaan Uhelszki
