Music

A mostly forgettable debut for Katharine McPhee

By Sean Daly
Published January 31, 2007

Introducing the newest member of the Pussycat Dolls . . . Katharine McPhee?

After trying on more personae than Inspector Clouseau during last year's American Idol, Ms. Runnerup has finally settled on an artistic disguise: generic hottie with decent voice singing marketing-savvy dance-pop.

McPhee's self-titled debut album, released Tuesday after months of unspecified delays, isn't terrible; it's just not terribly interesting. The 22-year-old was far more appealing as a frosty Celine belter eyeing her competitors as if they were dumb, talentless bunnies which, of course, they were. But any semblance of Kat-like claws has been replaced by a blank stare, thigh-high boots and vaguely randy pop foofaraw.

Before you even hear the music, the album art tells you everything: the come-hither hair, the legs agape under a hideous bumblebee dress, sexy enough to goose grownups but chaste enough to get her onto Wal-Mart shelves. The music is just as middle-of-the-road, despite help from all-star producers Babyface and the Underdogs. McPhee's Idol strengths were soft, swelling ballads that showed off her pipes. There's very little of that clean, classy sound here.

The 12-track Katharine McPhee is tired with rickety-rackety beats, synthetic strings and cliche pop tricks. Opening song Love Story pulls the old soul-hook groove and midtempo grind, with Mad-Lib lyrics about love and stuff. A somewhat better attempt is Over It, a kiss-off ballad in which McPhee unleashes her big voice at song's end.

But alas, this album will be remembered more for the low points than any fleeting high ones. The biggest clunker? Open Toes, a randy ode about her feet. Yuck. Remember McPhee's weepy father, the guy who sobbed at everything? Well, daddy's lil' girl just gave papa a whole new reason to blubber.

Sean Daly can be reached at sdaly@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8467.

Review

Katharine McPhee, Katharine McPhee (RCA) GRADE: C+

[Last modified January 31, 2007, 05:53:44]