Vote for the Worst Album Review: Allison Iraheta - Just Like You

Allison Irhaheta is quietly releasing her album “Just Like You” in the wake of Kris Allen and Adam Lambert’s debuts. Allison came across as likeable and kooky during her Idol run, but that personality is being shoved to the side a bit too much on this album. Allison tries to be authentic on the album and you can tell she puts real emotion into each song she sings. But despite everything Allison should have going for her, the album doesn’t really work.

Some of Allison’s missteps clearly aren’t her fault. Unable to keep her greasy paws off an Idol album, Kara DioGuardi’s token track “No One Else” is a piece of shit. And many of the songs either try too hard to mimic untalented artists like Ashlee Simpson and Gwen Stefani (“Trouble Is” and “Holiday” respectively) or try to throw saccharine positive messages on tracks that really don’t need them. It’s obvious after listening to the album why second-rate “Friday I’ll Be Over U” was released as the first single… there isn’t much here that accurately sells a total Allison package, and “Friday” does a decent job growing on you.

When Allison is at her best though, she’s instantly relatable and it works. “Robot Love”, one of the album’s standout tracks, is catchy, fun, and clever. It does what the rest of the album fails to do: it makes Allison sound current and less syrupy. “Just Like You” is also a bit cliché, but it’s a well crafted vehicle for Allison’s voice. “You Don’t Know Me” and “Still Breathing” are more bright spots, but they only dimly illuminate the album’s end. Neither song is anything I’d really consider listening to on repeat.

Allison’s album at least doesn’t falter in the same way as Adam Lambert’s: Allison’s at least a convincing pop-rocker. She just got some bad material that takes her in a few directions that seem disingenuous. I’d rather hear Allison rip on an ex or talk about feeling troubled than I want to hear her tell someone “Don’t Waste the Pretty”. Her voice is made more to express (teenage) heartache or (light) angst rather than the typical feel-good Idol balladry that tends to weigh this record down. But even still, songs like “D for Dangerous” seem silly being sung by a 17 year old who clearly doesn’t do much in her life that could be considered dangerous. The album doesn’t have enough moments in the middle of the two sides that would truly work.

So in the end, Allison put out a record that might sell decently. But it’s not doing her any real favors to start a career. The sad thing is that I do like Allison’s personality, and I wanted to like this album, but unfortunately I’m not 12 years old. This album clearly isn’t going to introduce the world to anything they haven’t heard before. Then again, isn’t that the typical Idol story? Allison famously said on Idol, “It’s not like I’m cutting myself” when Simon Cowell referred to her as dark. But this album would have you think she’s spending half of her time inflicting wounds and the other half tending to them. The Allison that I’d like to hear from probably doesn’t spend much time at either extreme.