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Album Review: Kelly Clarkson, "My December" (Arista)
Kelly Clarkson reportedly feuded with her label chief, Clive Davis, over the music on her latest CD, "My December." Davis evidently felt the largely Clarkson-written album wasn't quite up to par.
Perhaps Clarkson should have listened. "My December" is so bitter, it's virtually unlistenable. That's just part of a pile of recent bad news for Clarkson, who was forced to cancel her late-summer arena tour because of poor ticket sales. She also fired her management team, includeding Jeff Kwatinetz, who served as the album's executive producer.
The album's unmemorable opening track, "Never Again," for example: "I hope the ring you gave to her turns her finger green ... I would never wish bad things but I don't wish you well." The song is lined with hard-driving guitars, but there's really no hook. The dearth of hooks is pretty much consistent throughout "My December."
"One Minute" is a poor attempt at a dance song--surprising, because Clarkson had a team of great writers (Kara DioGuardi, and Canadian chanteuse Chantal Kreviazuk and her husband, Our Lady Peace frontman Raine Maida) for the '80s-inspired tune. "Hole" is only slightly more peppy, with hard-driving guitars that mimic her feelings: "I've given up on faith, on everything/All I want, all I need/is some peace."
After all the bitterness, Clarkson asks her former lover for a second chance in "Be Still." It seems completely out of context. Perhaps therapy is in order.
