When he was on American Idol, Chris Daughtry made it clear
that, unlike the rest of the pansies who compete, he was gonna rock
out. He kept at it, even with that persnickety judge Simon Cowell
telling him he didn’t have the charisma to make it. While Daughtry
didn’t advance to the final round, his self-titled 2007 debut sold more
than a million copies, making him one of the best-selling Idols ever.
Who would’ve guessed it?
The guy’s back with another album featuring the same kind of
blustery power anthems that Nickelback, Three Doors Down and Creed have
made their bread and butter. Album opener “You Don’t Belong” is about
someone’s that’s done him wrong. Daughtry’s bellowing vocals, and
sentiments like “I think you lied to me” and “look what you’ve done to
me,” suggest an unparalleled ability to manufacture clichés. The
same goes for the power ballad “Every Time You Turn Around” and the
heavy-hitting “Ghost of Me.” Still, Leave This Town is
relentlessly radio-ready so expect to hear it ad nauseum into 2010.
— Jeff Niesel
This article appears in Jul 15-21, 2009.
