Cooking Up A Boil

David Cook - David Cook

3/5

It's about time David Cook's debut big label CD hit. After winning idol back in May, it seems a little late for it to be hitting shelves on November 18th, so i'm grateful we got it 5 days in advance! The CD is quite upbeat and starts off with a pretty heavy pace. It does slow down a few times, where it is most crucial. For this reason, the track setup is really effective, which can be a huge, crucial portion of the CD if you decide to play in order.
"Declaration" picks up the CD with a fast pace, proclaiming a good radio anthem soon to come. Followed by "Heroes" which is a bit forgettable due to its mediocre sound and dismal effect on the ears, though the lyrics are worthy. The third track is the one we all know "Light On" which succeeds in its pure isolation of Cook's powerful voice range. Then we get the suprisingly relatable (at least to me) "Come Back To Me" whose lyrics are really my current life story, but enough about that, the song also has a good beat and uses a good string of gutair rings by the finish. The 5th track "Life On The Moon" expresses the feelings of loneliness and again allows Cook to shout out his energy in pure musical beauty. This song and "Light On" are too similar to be different. The Injected cover "Bar-ba-sol" comes sixth, and gives the best instrumental dynamics over the whole CD, following Cook's original American Idol cover style. The song sticks out from the rest of the CD due to the playing of the instruments and the suit they fit in Cook's voice. The only shameful fact is that the best song instrumentally was written by someone else. Now, the most powerful vocal range is showcased through the majesty of "Mr. Sensitive", which is truly a great track that is worth a few listens before moving on. Cook sounds outstanding as he belts out the awesome lyrics. The first ballad comes now, and "Lie" is another relatable song which expresses enjoying the last moments of a relationship, and pretending like nothing's wrong. The worst song on the CD rolls on and "I Did It For You" does absolutely nothing for this disc, being forgettable and boring. But the worst track is brought on by the best one. "Avalanche" is clearly the one that will make butterflies soar in your stomach. It is definately going to be Cook's unforgettable track. Then comes "Permanent" which is a stripped and raw ballad about Cook's eldest brother who faces cancer. The song is heartbreaking, yet inspiring. Then it closes with "A Daily Anthem" which is exactly an anthem, but doesn't leave the lasting impression a final song should.
So in the end, it looks as though Cook's amazing talents were held back by the label somewhat. You can tell his freedom here was robbed with some songs, but he breaks free as best as he can. His talent is rising here, and we can guarantee that his next CD will blow everyone away, once he detaches from this label. The training wheels were on here, but they will come off, and that reason gives us hope. For now, we have to listen to this one a few times before we make final judgments.

1. Declaration
2. Heroes
3. Light On
4. Come Back To Me *
5. Life On The Moon
6. Bar-ba-sol *
7. Mr Sensitive *
8. Lie *
9. I Did It For You
10. Avalanche *
11. Permanent *
12. A Daily Anthem

http://rapidshare.com/files/163414019/DC-DC__Mp3_.rar