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Editorial Reviews

During the second season of American Idol, semifinalist Kimberley Locke impressed judges Paula and Randy, and even won over that meanie Simon, with her smoldering, jazzy pipes. Now, a year after her run on the show, the Nashville native is ready to extend her 15 minutes of fame into a bona fide recording career with the release of her debut disc. Taking a page from her AI competitor and roommate Clay Aiken's songbook, Locke's One Love is heavy on MOR adult contemporary tunes, including the recent Top 40 hit "8th World Wonder" and "Without You," a wholesome duet with Aiken. The disc also mimics the chart-topping format of Season 1 American Idol champ Kelly Clarkson's debut, Thankful, by sprinkling in a few pop-rock and dance-pop tracks (the Christina Aguilera–reminiscent "Wrong," the sassy "It's Alright," respectively) and a few R&B-lite tracks (the slow jam "You've Changed," the gospel-tinged "Now I Can Fly"). But while the disc is long on the predictable elements of crossover success, it's short on originality and personality. Locke's vocals are strong, if more than a little monotone, but listeners never get a sense of her individuality as an artist -- an assessment Simon made of the singer, whom he also urged to lose weight. Well, by dropping 20 pounds, the newly svelte Locke is only partway there: Now she needs to develop a signature sound. That said, Locke should feel victorious, since the disc is a far cry better than Aiken's bland, multi-platinum debut, Measure of a Man. And in the long run, that may be the only consolation prize this third runner-up needs. Tracy E. Hopkins, Barnes & Noble

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