Kelly Clarkson
Breakaway

THE REVIEW

At the heart of this review lies a motivation. Many have undoubtedly wondered what happened to Ben Moody after his departure from the famous band Evanescence due to personal disagreements with Amy Lee. Well, if we exclude his collaboration on the soundtrack for the film adaptation of the comic "Fantastic 4" with the song "Everything burns" (featuring Anastacia), the answer is actually found among the albums of some American pop starlets.

Thus, we discover that the blond and controversial guitarist, having rekindled his camaraderie with former teammate David Hodges, also a member of the first lineup of Evanescence, is currently involved in compositions that are light years away from the world of metal, rock, or any form of art we could generally define as alternative. With questionable results, the first collaboration to see the light was with Avril Lavigne, for the album "Under my skin," to which Moody tried to bring a dark vein, which, as everyone can imagine, does not belong even remotely to the young girl from Canada, recruited a few years ago by savvy discographers to create a new idol among kids. The same process occurs for Kelly Clarkson, who became known in her homeland thanks to the talent show "American Idol" and the release of the album "Thankful," which, despite the complete lack of depth in the instrument approach typical of pop albums, showed undeniable vocal abilities (it seems the singer has a soul background) and also some fairly enjoyable compositions.

"Breakaway," the second release of the new sensation, was released in the United States in 2004; in Italy, it only appeared on store shelves in the summer of 2005, when the launch single "Since u been gone," an engaging pop-rock mix in full Avril Lavigne style featuring a strong performance by Clarkson behind the microphone, began to be broadcasted by a well-known phone company commercial and on the radio. It's immediately apparent the producers' intent to blend and exploit current trends; if "Thankful" (from which "Beautiful disaster" was re-proposed in a live version) left behind vague jazz and soul reminiscences, listening to this "Breakaway," we quickly notice how vibrant electric guitars attempt to construct a discordant rock architecture around the banal pop motifs and catchy choruses of the various songs. Illustrative in this regard are the aforementioned single and "Behind these hazel eyes," where above the sly pop-rock refinements à la Alanis Morissette, the vocalist's range especially stands out. Abhorrent in intentions but despite everything listenable. The touch of Ben and David, last-minute daredevils in the scene, is more than evident in other episodes, such as the second single "Because of you," spiced with an adolescent dramatic verve, which turns out to be one of the few successful tracks in the lot. "Addicted" is instead a commercial version of the more pop episodes of Amy Lee's band, stripped of that gothic mantle so dear to the Arkansas quartet, yet still pleasant and energetic. The other songs struggle to leave a mark and border on unlistenability. And if an easygoing listener like myself says so, it's worth believing.

There is surely no more hope for Kelly Clarkson, but for Ben Moody and David Hodges, a chance for redemption might still arise; let's just hope they don't once again succumb to hefty offers from any record executive. As for the album, it must be said that the twelve episodes of "Breakaway," for the most die-hard fans of the most banal and radio-friendly pop, will perhaps be a pleasant alternative (perhaps while playing beach volleyball on a scorching beach or in the headphones of an iPod during a day of frenzied shopping) to the whining and laxative voice and the fake pop-rock of Avril Lavigne, to the brothel-like provocations of the '30s from the latest Christina Aguilera, to the self-celebratory vocal masturbation of "panther" Beyoncé Knowles, and to the inevitably offered soil fertilizer from Hilary Duff and Paris Hilton.