Adam Lambert, the most recent “American Idol” runner-up, might be the most creative, expressive and controversial former “Idol” to date. His performances are campy, raunchy and heavy on the guyliner, and his recent onstage antics at the American Music Awards earned him a reputation as too controversial for “Good Morning America.”
Fans who hoped to see Lambert channel this intensity into a perfectly manicured debut album may be disappointed with his first mainstream endeavor, For Your Entertainment. Although some tracks are standout pop hits, the effort on the whole is halfhearted. Lambert sparkles on the power ballads and the synthed-out electro-pop tracks, but some songs are outdated and unoriginal. As a performer, Lambert seems ready to strut his stuff and show the world his true colors, but what we get on his debut album just isn’t colorful enough.
For Your Entertainment is packed with collaborations. Lambert rocks out on “Music Again” with Justin Hawkins of The Darkness. Hawkins has a falsetto to rival Lambert’s, and the two of them channel that revamped but still classic rock feel beautifully.
The title track is without a doubt Lambert’s strongest. Lyrically, it’s aggressive and almost violent, with lines like “Can you handle what I’m ’bout to do/ ‘Cause it’s about to get rough for you.” Musically, though, the offbeat synthed-out track is the most interesting on the album. It’s edgy and sexy, and Lambert delivers the vocals perfectly.
With help from Pink and pop mastermind Max Martin, Lambert soars on the power ballad, “Whataya Want From Me.” It’s a strong track, but listeners might start to wonder — is Adam Lambert truly a unique artist, or is he just a pliable vocalist? On every track, he takes on the sound of his writers and collaborators; the star-studded quality of this album becomes overpowering.
Slow-moving ballads like the utterly bizarre “Soaked” weigh the album down. The song has a labored showtune sound, the lyrics are forced and indecipherable, and the melody is antiquated.
Perez Hilton calls “If I Had You” “pure pop perfection” with good reason — it’s another Max Martin track, and the sticky sweet electro-pop is enjoyable in a guilty pleasure sort of way.
Lambert works the Broadway vibe more effectively on “Pick U Up,” featuring Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo. The song is theatrical, but Cuomo’s influence on guitar keeps it from going the way of “Soaked.”
Lambert teamed up with Lady Gaga, the reigning queen of deliciously eccentric pop, to write “Fever.” These two performers should have been able to come up with something exciting, but their collaborative track is rather bland.
The album’s closer, “Time for Miracles,” is a power ballad that really shows off Lambert’s vocal chops, with help from guitarist Alain Johannes.
For Your Entertainment includes some real pop gems, but with so many collaborations, listeners are left wondering: Who is Adam Lambert? His debut album is defined by collaborations, and he fails to solidify a signature sound.
Furthermore, for an artist who’s carving a niche for himself by being raunchy, For Your Entertainment doesn’t go far enough. The title track will make listeners want more, but Lambert is not giving it to us. He’s obviously a powerful and unique vocalist, but when he holds back, you get the feeling he’s not showing us what he’s capable of. Adam Lambert takes risks as a performer, but as a recording artist, he needs to step up, work his falsetto and give listeners everything he’s got.
2 1/2 out of 5 stars.
