Adam Lambert - For Your Entertainment
Review by Jack Foley
ADAM Lambert is the latest American Idol star to make it big on his own, a self-confessed “ultra-glam, rock superstar” who doesn’t do things by half measures.
Having won over millions of fans as part of the 18th season of Idol in the States, his debut album now comes complete with contributions from artists such as Lady Gaga, P!nk, Muse, Justin Hawkins (formerly of The Darkness) and Rivers Cuomo of Weezer.
The result is a loud, often outrageous, bombastic effort that bears stylistic comparisons to everyone from Muse, Queen and The Darkness to Lady Gaga, Mika and Robbie Williams.
It’s occasionally good, sometimes just plain awful and much longer than necessary.
Lambert lays down his intentions from the outset, with the glam rock extravaganza that is Music Again… a rock-pop collaboration and vocal trade-off between Lambert and Justin Hawkins that hits several outrageously glam falsetto highs.
It’s an ambitious, high-energy entry point that sounds like Queen jamming with The Darkness and Go West! The chorus proudly chants: “Oh, you make me want to listen to music again.” But, in truth, you might not want to keep listening!
Title track For Your Entertainment – a track co-written by Claude Kelly (Circus by Britney Spears) and Dr. Luke (I Kissed A Girl by Katy Perry) – then follows and hits the type of glam-pop, electro-heavy strut more commonly associated with Britney or Gaga. It’s a chart hit in waiting… but average at best.
Lambert hits a high with Whataya Want From Me, a track co-written by Pink, which actually channels some of that artist’s feistier elements. It’s the clear album highlight.
But thereafter, the highs become more sporadic. Tracks like Strut or the Eastern European influenced Soaked begin promisingly but tend to run out of steam or copying the likes of Muse or Queen a little too obviously.
Tracks like Sure Fire Winners and A Loaded Smile are merely torturous.
The album rallies briefly for Pick Up Up, which benefits from the contribution of Rivers Cuomo, co-founder, lead singer and principal songwriter for Weezer, who seems to have helped reign in some of Lambert’s more outrageous tendencies to deliver a pop romp.
And the Lady Gaga co-written Fever sounds like the sort of track she could lend her vocals too, albeit with a glam-rock edge afforded by Lambert’s distinct style. It’s catchy.
Sleepwalker is a semi-decent ballad, while Aftermath sounds like Lambert’s bid to come over all Nickelback and is OK. But given the sense of anticipation surrounding it, and the quality of its collaborators, For Your Entertainment is only ever average at best… and more often well below that.
Download picks: Whataya Want From Me, Pick U Up, Fever, Sleepwalker
Track listing:
This article sounds like the writer is bored with life and definitely is in the wrong profession. Adam Lambert's album is fantastic and millions of people play it over & over everyday. Fever is awesome, as well as Strut and Loaded Smile. Muse wrote Soaked so of course it has their sound. Love the album. Do not let a negative person like this stop you from enjoying the journey of someone who is on his way to becoming iconic. Listen to his acoustic versions on VH1 if you have any doubts on his talent
jasmine May 2 #What a dick this writer is. 4sure wrong profession!!!!Luv Adam & Love the Album!!!!!!!
moda May 12 #