Album Review by EDF
Oh dear, so young and yet so unimpressive. Here comes another teen sensation, who is not even 16 yet, to come out from that square box in the corner of your room. Hilary Duff is the star of a show that I have never heard of so it must be aimed at the kids. That’s all well and good but according to the record company’s notes, Duff also has a magazine out based on her LIZZIE MCGUIRE show. At this rate, Duff will be a millionaire by the time she’s 18. Don’t I feel old and stupid but besides that this is a collection of sugary pop songs aimed at 10 year-olds.
It is by no coincidence that young Duff sounds like Avril because, yes you guessed it, THE MATRIX team has contributed to some of the tracks here, including the opening track and single SO YESTERDAY. LITTLE VOICE is unintentionally the funniest track on the album as Duff keeps telling us that the little voice in her head will not mislead her. Yeah, right, as if we can be convinced that 14 year-olds know how to make their minds up. Get a bunch of them together on a bus going to or from school and watch that little voice in action. It’s amazing they can even stand up straight for themselves but more about that and invisible strings later.
If you were only half listening to ANYWHERE BUT HERE, you would be mistaken in thinking that it was about being beaten up but Duff’s actually telling us that she is into someone big time so that’s alright, isn’t it? There is no fear of any social commentary creeping into these sugary tunes. The heavy guitar intro is so out of place on THE MATH, the only place for this track to go is to descend into another Avril-like song. Suddenly the mood is broken as it then goes into the sweet sounding LOVE JUST IS. You then realise that there is not a lot of Hilary in these songs and she is, surprise surprise, just another puppet.
It might not seem so but I have tried to give this album a fair hearing. Hilary sounds too sweet which is not too surprising as she is signed up to Disney Records. Due to the lack of attitude here, Duff will fall into the pop arena and a predictable guest slot on dodgy pop chart programmes.
