Idol Chit-Chat
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Monday, March 19, 2007

Elliott Is "Movin' On" And He's Taking Me With Him...

I was never a fan of Elliott Yamin (except when I wanted him to get in the top two instead of Katharine), but after hearing him and Chris Daughtry rock Nickelback’s “Saving Me” during the Idols tour, I could almost see what everyone else saw in him.

And after hearing his debut CD, I can definitely see it…

“Elliott Yamin” is Brian McKnight meets Stevie Wonder meets Donnie Hathaway and I mean that as a compliment. Much of the CD has an old-school vibe, but Elliott does a great job of giving it a fresh and somewhat surprising sound as well.

The CD kicks off with the first single, “Movin’ On,” which is produced by DJ Lethal of Limp Bizkit. It’s a catchy number with an old-school 80s vibe, but the real gem of the CD is the second track, “Wait For You.” I honestly hope that “Movin’ On” dies out quickly, because this ballad is slated to be the second single and it’s got top 40 hit written all over it. If you only listen to one track, this is the one.

“Find a Way” is a social consciousness song that has a nice sound but it tries a little too hard. “One Word” is a solid track followed by the second best track on the CD—another ballad—“You’re the One.” The next track is called “I’m the Man” but if you’re thinking it’s some kind of silly anthem a la Katharine’s “Open Toes,” no such luck. This one goes in the good anthem column and is probably the third best track.

After that, the CD leans a little toward the cheesy side with “Trainwreck,” “Free,” “Alright,” and “Take My Breath Away," as Elliott tries to show some groove and it falls a little flat. But unlike Katharine's attempts, you won't laugh out loud. The CD concludes with his best known “Idol” number (the one that made Paula cry), “A Song For You.” It still sounds great, but it just doesn’t fit in with the rest of the CD. Maybe with his new sound (and new look), it just doesn’t fit Elliott anymore.

If I were to rank Elliott’s CD with his fellow “Idol” competitors from season six, I would definitely put him just below Daughtry (I’m sorry. I still think Taylor’s is the best.). I’m not a big R&B fan, but Elliott’s voice is so pure, it’s hard not to like this one.

You can listen for yourself at http://music.aol.com/songs/new_releases_full_cds. "Elliott Yamin" hits stores Tuesday, March 20th.

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