American Idol's seventh season was probably the best, in terms of showcasing artists with a distinct point of view. Love them or hate them, David Cook, Jason Castro, Micheal Johns, Syesha Mercado, David Archuleta, Kristy Lee Cook and fifth placer Brooke White showed artistic wholeness, providing a glimpse into what kind of album they would produce. The show had been shaken up by Blake Lewis the year before and karaoke on Idol was no longer good enough.
Brooke White, the Arizona-born former nanny with the wholesome image, had the Carole King-style singer/songwriter genre sewn up. She accompanied herself on piano or guitar frequently, making fine work of another female singer/songwriter classic, Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" on seventies night. As soon as I heard Brooke was releasing an album on iTunes I knew exactly what to expect.
High Hopes & Heartbreak is pure seventies-style sun-soaked Cali guitar pop with a slight country twang, drawing from Brooke's influences like Fleetwood Mac and Carole King. It's beautiful classic soul-pop and White manages to hit high notes in various tempos. Standouts include the upbeat title track, as well as slower songs like "Out Of The Ashes" and "Sometimes Love" - a really pretty piano ballad about real love and fleeting infatuation. She tugs on my musophile heartstrings with her constant referencing of bands, songs and musical moments, like on "California Song," "Phoenix" and "Radio Radio" as well as a Nashville-inspired cover of Kings Of Leon's "Use Somebody" that shines. Plus, Brooke co-wrote all of the rest of the tracks as well as playing piano. Y'all should know how much I love that!
It's a very mature second album, and at a reduced price on iTunes it's worth it for fans of adult pop and singer/songwriters like King, Simon or Joni Mitchell.
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