Music Review: "All I Ever Wanted" by Kelly Clarkson
It's good that I sat and listened to this album for almost a month now. I think in this way, I can write a more thoughtful review about an album that I ADORE so much.
I want to hug this album everyday for the rest of my life. I love it so much and here's why: I think it's pure pop perfection. I think the writing in this album, as a whole, is better than her previous albums. That's not denying the greatness of Breakaway, but I think that I like this album better than Breakaway. My December had some good tracks and two standouts (Sober and Irvine) that I really liked which showcased Kelly's potential ability to be one of the greatest singer-songwriters of her generation. (Yes, lofty, but I'm just saying.) But I think All I Ever Wanted is a stronger album than My December.
Her two previous albums consisted of songs that had more of an angry girl vibe. Not all songs of course, but a lot of the songs were of that nature. What surprised me about this album is that it is comprised of different perspectives and emotions. Although there are definitely traces of that "angry girl at a boyfriend" kind of vibe, especially in the title track "All I Ever Wanted", a number of songs explore different depths of feelings.
Although I love the first single, "My Life Would Suck Without You", there are a couple of tracks that are truly topnotch. One would be suprised at how many styles Kelly explores in this album. She touches a bit of country with the ballad, "Cry". There are the rock/pop songs such as "I Do Not Hook Up". The ballads such as "Already Gone" and "If No One Will Listen". There's also punk rock in "Whyyawannabringmedown."
I absolutely love how she attacks the verses (staccato and suits her range perfectly) in the song, "Long Shot" which was written by Katy Perry and Glen Ballard. Great job, Katy and Kelly. She mimics a little of Katy Perry's vocal mannerisms but OMFG, she sounds terrific. I love the part "my hearbeat beats me senselessly / why's everything got to be so intense with me."
"Ready" and "I Want You" are two of the songs Kelly wrote for this album and it is very, very good. "I Want You" is such a cheery pop song as if made for girl groups in the fifties or sixties, complete with the beats and background vocals (it sounds like Duffy (!!!!!) in the background, I hope it is her although it doesn't say so in the album sleeve).
There's also "Don't Let Me Stop You" which has really great lyrics: "this is gonna sound kind of silly / but I couldn't help but notice / the last time you kissed me / you kept both eyes open" Heh. Genius. I cannot imagine any of her contemporaries being able to sing this like she can. Because no one can, I'm saying it right now.
Then there's the Ryan Tedder / Kelly Clarkson - penned ballad "Already Gone". I am such a pushover... critics don't like this but this track has already a thousand plays in my media library. I love this song as well and I kind of relate with the lyrics? But like, in a way that it is sung to me and not me singing it. *snerk*
"remember all the things we wanted / now all our memories are haunted / we were always meant to say goodbye / even with our fists held high / it never would have worked our right yeah / we were never meant for do or die / I didn't want us to burn out / I didn't come here to hurt you now I can't stop"
A deluxe CD was released in the states with three bonus tracks: "Tip of My Tongue", "The Day We Fell Apart", and "Can We Go Back." I have all of them, thanks to my fellow uploaders over at this music community. Shame that "The Day We Fell Apart" didn't make the cut because it's a great song as well.
Here are a few sections from an interesting review from Pop Matters:
Yet even with those missteps, there are still some stellar moments on All I Ever Wanted that show Clarkson branching out into new territory. The punky “Whyyawannabringmedown” feels like one of the few songs where Clarkson is allowed to let her freak flag fly, and amidst the stop-start guitars that chug around her, Clarkson’s rock-ready wail makes her sound like a dead ringer for Tia Carrere’s character in Wayne’s World.
Even better are the tracks right before the album’s close (aka where labels put songs that aren’t up for single consideration), as this is where we get some of the disc’s most surprising moments. “I Want You” comes off a modern-day update on the Phil Spector girl-group sound (or, at least the Pipettes’) complete with vocal stutters, fluid harps, and a dry kick-drum beat. What’s amazing is how completely at home Clarkson sounds here, almost as if you could envision her in a poodle skirt while playing this number at a 1950s prom, breaking out into Leslie Gore’s “It’s My Party (And I’ll Cry If I Want To)” immediately after. The breezy, carefree pop of “Ready” precedes “I Want You”, and, together, we’re reminded as to why Clarkson won American Idol in the first place: she didn’t just sing the songs, she sold them wholeheartedly, no matter what the intended emotion. These quirky little tunes may very well rank as some of her best, and perhaps there’s a reason behind their success: Clarkson wrote them herself.
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It might be a bit quirky at times, but therein lies the charm: no one could’ve filled up such a deliberately commercial album with so much personality aside from Kelly Clarkson, and for that, we should all be a bit thankful.