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| "Begin" Copyright 2012 Shadow Mountain Records |
Currently serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Chile, David has released his 5th studio album this month. Featuring 10 tracks, 9 of which are covers of popular songs and one being an original, "Begin" sounds distinctly like David's style. Below I will do a song-by-song review of the album.
1. "Beautiful" (Christina Aguilera): A great way to open up the album. I have always loved this song and David does justice to it. Although he never really sings, "I am beautiful," for obvious reasons, he changes it to "You are beautiful". A good effort.
2. "Somewhere Only We Know" (Keane): Another great choice. A sentimental, nostalgic song, David sings it with the right amount of emotion. However, I found him to be singing it a little higher than the original. Or maybe he kept the same key and had to sing it a little higher. Sometimes David sounds uncomfortable, especially in the high notes. But a good version nevertheless.
3. "Everybody Hurts" (R.E.M.): A pretty big song for David to do, but then he's sung pretty much every big song on Idol. He stayed true to the original and didn't change anything. I liked it!
4. "Don't Give Up" (Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush): I had never heard this song before, and was glad I got introduced to it. The highlight of this song was the presence of Libbie Linton. She has a beautiful voice and lends the song much tenderness. A very inspirational song, and definitely one of the best on the album!
5. "Angel" (Sarah McLachlan): I thought I didn't know this song, but during the chorus I was like "Oh! I've heard this!" Nice song, overall. Maybe a little safe and snoozy, but then again, this album isn't meant to be very commercial. (More on that later)
6. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (Simon and Garfunkel): Big song alert! David kills it! Great, great, great. Awesome. Love it.
7. "Broken": The lone original song on the album. And of course, an inspirational one. Not a radio hit, this one, but a great addition to the album. Deep and meaningful lyrics and convincing delivery make it a great song. I love when David sings the high notes, they sound very real and touching.
8. "True Colors" (Cyndi Lauper): Needs no introduction, this one. David changes it up a bit, making the tempo slower and making it more emotional. Can't really go wrong with a song like this!
9. "Pride (In the Name of Love)" (U2): I had heard OF this song before, but had never heard it itself. And it's the only fast song on this album (which goes to show how slow the songs are). But it's a good one, nice to hear it for the first time.
10. "Be Still My Soul": And finally, a hymn. It's a nice way to wrap up the album. Soft, tender and beautiful. A worthy rendition.
Overall, this is a ballad album, filled with mostly inspirational and uplifting songs. Which is good, because David is now serving a mission, so it's very apt. And this is a good album to fill you up with good feelings. It does not have commercial sensibilities, and is a small, personal album.
David Archuleta has quite a unique voice, which allows him to sing many different types of songs ranging from upbeat pop to demure, toned down ballads. If you are a lover of slow, uplifting songs which make you feel good, this is a great album to have. If you are an American Idol or David Archuleta fan (like me) then this is a no-brainer. Although I wish there were a few faster or upbeat songs here, the fact that we won't be hearing from David for the next two years is reason enough to get this!
RATING: ★★★