Review of Leave This Town Album by Chris Daughtry

Review of Daughtry's album Leave This Town.

Chris Daughtry Leave This Town Album

Named after vocalist Chris Daughtry, a former reality show contestant, Daughtry were formed by the band's record company and went on to sell over six million copies of their self-titled debut, four million of which were shifted in their American homeland. This is the follow-up release, which is currently being promoted with an extensive North American tour.

Grunge-derived rock bands from the other side of the Atlantic may not have had huge success recently in the UK, but that's not to say there aren't decent acts around - Fuel and Our Lady Peace to name a couple. Daughtry very much fall into the genre, so power chords and big choruses characterise 'Leave This Town', while Daughtry himself has a vocal style which is very easy on the ear. This combination might suggest a recipe for success, but the likes of 'You Don't Belong', 'What I Meant To Say' and 'Ghost Of Me' fail to stand out and at times feel like the band are trying too hard to convey emotion. Softer moments like 'No Surprise' are perfect for radio but are equally uninspiring, while the expected ballads 'Learn My Lesson' and 'Tennessee Line' are clich'd and dreary. To paraphrase Kid Rock, something marketed right will be bought, but something real will be felt - there's no doubt that this album will chalk up decent sales figures, but for large parts it couldn't be any less affecting.

Alex Lai


Official Site - http://www.daughtryofficial.com

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