Adam Lambert’s Trespassing is solid, BUT….
Adam Lambert is arguably one of the best artists to come out of American Idol. The flamboyant pop star has a commanding stage presence, a great personality, and solid vocals to back everything up.
It’s no wonder that he has attracted a solid lineup of collaborators for his new album Trespassing — from Pharell, to Dr. Luke to Bruno Mars, the album’s liner notes reads like the who’s who of the pop music industry.
Trespassing is an enjoyable album opened by uptempos. The first seven songs effortlessly mix pop, rock, and dance. Lambert shows his softer side in the second half.
Stand out tracks: The title track is a pop-rock anthem boasting confident vocals and loud guitars. The 80s-tinged track celebrates rebellion, a common theme of the album.”No Trespassing? Yeah, my ass! Wait till ya get a load of me,” Lambert challenges his listeners. It’s a solid track that sets the right tone for the album.
Co-written by Bonnie McKee (“Teenage Dream”), “Cuckoo” is easily the catchiest song of the album.
Skip these tracks: Honestly, every song in this album is worth a listen. “Broken English” is probably the weakest track, but that’s because of the placement. The relatively quiet track follows the magnificent “Better Than I Know Myself”.
Final thoughts: Individually, songs from Trespassing are all great. And with all songs having some sort of 80s influence, there’s also a somewhat cohesive sound here.
But it must be pointed out that many of the songs in Trespassing are carbon copies of popular tracks that already litter radio. The first single could easily have been sung by Pink. Many dance-pop artists would have done “Never Close Our Eyes” some justice. And with minor tweaks, “Kickin’ it” could have been a killer Britney Spears track. The list goes on and on.
Despite the heavy-handed production from some of pop radio’s heavy hitters, Lambert’s vocals tend to elevate the tracks though. Overall, Trespassing is a great sophomore effort — I just wish this great vocalist would walk the walk next time, be truly rebellious, and take some risks.
