Album review: Kelly's 'All I Ever Wanted'

After hitting a few speed bumps on the road to consistent success, dependable pop/rock maven Kelly Clarkson bombards fans with her much-anticipated fourth studio album, ‘All I Ever Wanted.’ Clarkson calls on big named songwriters and proven producers including Howard Benson to assist her in convincing audiences the album is worth listening to, trading in artistic experiments for guaranteed pop hits.

Leading off the disc is the super sugary and ultra radio-friendly #1 hit single “My Life Would Suck Without You.” The same team that was responsible for her most memorable hit, “Since U Been Gone,” Max Martin and Dr. Luke, offers up its talents with the highest-quality dance/pop production possible on the track. Although it is a great way to begin ‘Wanted,’ it’s not nearly its strongest track.

Other current sounding songs with similar Katy Perry dance elements include the Ryan Tedder-produced and co-penned “If I Can’t Have You,” which could be confused with a Miley Cyrus song thanks to juvenile lyrics if it weren’t for Clarkson’s distinct vocals, while another Tedder track, “Impossible,” is stylized and produced to soda pop perfection complete with synths and a big classic Clarkson bridge.

The comparisons to Perry’s work found on ‘Wanted’ are made easier by the inclusion of two former demos recorded by radio’s newest sensation, which she helped pen with the likes of Glen Ballard and ‘Idol’ judge Kara DioGuardi among others. Clarksons’s takes on the two tracks, “I Do Not Hook Up” and “Long Shot” are certified earworms. “Hook Up,“ the album’s second single, has an anthemic vibe that carries positive connotations, while the stronger “Long Shot” features a crazy, catchy chorus and staccato verses that add intensity to the album.

One thing that can’t be denied about ‘Wanted’ is the idea that it’s a combination of elements from Clarkson’s three previous albums, which makes it her most diverse one stylistically speaking by a large margin. The album that seems to be drawn on the most here is ‘Breakaway’ for obvious reasons, as songs like the hit-in-waiting “Don’t Let Me Stop You” beckons back to “Behind These Hazel Eyes” and “Save You” sounds like it would fit right in on her most commercial album to date.

Just as there are oodles of dance-pop hits on the album, there are just as many rock tracks a la ‘My December.’ Title track “All I Ever Wanted” (Sam Watters, Louis Biancaniello, Dameon Aranda) is among the catchiest offerings while maintaining instrumentation with heavy bass, guitar chords and earthy vocals per Clarkson. The grungy “Whyyawannabringmedown,” also written by Aranda, is the most intense song on ‘Wanted’ and helps show off Clarkson’s personality. Other ‘My December’-esque tracks are the bluesy “Ready” and the dreamy, throwback-sounding “I Want You,” both of which Clarkson had a hand in writing.

The strongest track on ‘Wanted’ is without a doubt the power ballad “Cry,” which is where Clarkson is able to show off her range and fuse it with a beautiful arrangement. Clarkson herself described the song as being “the most personal song on the album,” and a few country elements included in the instrumentation give it a raw and gritty feeling at the same time. “Already Gone,” the album’s second-strongest offering, sounds like an updated “Nothing Compares 2 U” complete with haunting, echoing vocals. Although it is often compared to another Tedder-produced track (Beyoncé’s “Halo”), the song is original enough to stand on its own as a musical and lyrical achievement.

Clarkson chooses to finish off ‘Wanted’ with the Keri Noble cover of “If No One Will Listen,” which is the most ‘Thankful’-like option. Although it is a nice ballad in its own right, it feels a bit out of place here, especially as a closing track.

Among the three bonus tracks available on the deluxe edition are yet another Tedder/Clarkson collaboration, “Tip of My Tongue,” which sounds like something that could be heard as part of a high school dance club‘s act, and “The Day We Fell Apart,” a more ratcheted and rocked up “I Do Not Hook Up.” Either track could have easily been swapped with two tracks on the original album and they would have fit relatively well.

Even though ‘All I Ever Wanted’ is far from measuring up to Clarkson’s most artistic album (’My December’), it is on par with ‘Breakaway’ in terms of balancing commercial appeal with personal influence from Clarkson herself. Whether or not the album measures up to the success of the aforementioned disc, Kelly Clarkson is surely back in the game and is ready to redeem her throne atop the pop music kingdom.

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