David Archuleta - David Archuleta Review

On American Idol's seventh season, David Archuleta had some personality — something you'll struggle to remember while taking in this bland, amnesia-inducing collection. Problems arise immediately with the single, ''Crush,'' which declares youthful longings yet has him sounding several passionless decades past the point of teenage heat. But when the gloss gets stripped away and Archuleta slips in some sweet flourishes on the mostly solo-piano ''Running,'' you glimpse hints of how his innate tenderness might triumph if he weren't saddled with the most generic writing and production money can buy. C+...full text Most teen Disney heroes have got nothing on David Archuleta. The 17-year-old who was one of the most exciting "American Idol" contenders has one of those once-in-a-decade pop voices: A silky tenor with a natural melancholy that makes him a heartbreaker by default. His charming debut exploits that very quality with some strokes of pop genius, like "Touch My Hand," a temporary love ballad to the pretty girl in the front row, and "Your Eyes Don't Lie," a Jonas Brothers-do-"No Diggity" ditty with a fair amount of crooner slink. But Archie is at his best on the bleeders, like piano ballad "To Be With You," and "Angels," the Robbie Williams cover he saved from obscurity on "Idol." These are the kinds of performances meant for arenas. —Kerri Mason...full text American Idol Season 7 fan favorite, David Archuleta has become a household name as he spent his 2008 summer on the nationwide American Idol tour with his fellow contestants. This album includes a sequence of Pop tracks from the industry’s most talented writers and producers. Archuleta’s first single ‘Crush’ was produced by Emanuel ‘Eman’ Kiriakou.

The good:
“Crush” - A great choice as a single. It lets Archuleta pick up where he left off on Idol with a confidence and power that made him a fan favorite. It doesn’t hurt that the song is smooth as honey.

“Touch My Hand” - Love the falsetto. This isn’t the vanilla pop song everyone would expect. It’s great to get the unexpected....full text