Review: Phillip Phillips' debut album 'The World from the Side of the Moon'
Can the 'American Idol' winner transcend the guy-with-guitar curse?
Phillip Phillips' "The World from the Side of the Moon"
Phillip Phillips, the most recent of the crowned "American Idols," has a bar to raise. Previous guys-with-guitars-styled singers like Kris Allen and Lee Dewyze are struggling for their album sales and criticisms to match their FOX show success. What this 22-year-old has going for him on his debut album "The World from the Side of the Moon," besides a title charmingly impossible to remember, is his natural, warm growl and the mixed blessing of always sounding like somebody else.
Namely, Phillips splits time on "The World" between Dave Matthews Band rockers and Mumford & Sons roots numbers. This comes as no surprise to the listener, who would easily mistake his chart-breaking single "Home" for the latter's earnest heartbreaking. As for the inveterate DMB, Phillips picks up where 2001's "Everyday" left off: these are not band-written songs, this collection is shot after shot at the Next Big Single, with a frontman never stepping away from the center. Some melodies will achieve exactly the radio single sound Universal undoubtedly hoped Phillips could achieve. "Gone, Gone, Gone" has enough BPMs to differentiate it from "Home" while still dipping into the same pool. Closer "So Easy" could easily head to Adult Top 40 as "Get Up Get Down" will leave both Matthews and Maroon 5 shaking that they didn't have first dibs.
Phillips is game for all these, but it's not unfair to say he has some serious limitations, too. Dynamically, his vocals remain pleasant, lightly challenged, but rarely changing. Those performances cause tracks like "Drive Me" and country stomper "Cant' Go Wrong" to fall flat. He most emotionally expressive on "Home," still, and abstract "Fool's Dance."
The next challenge is to take Phillips' likeable brand further, without entirely disassociating him from the television show. Some songs are strong enough, and his fans can follow this set pretty easily. Now it's up to the marketing team. Happy holidays, guys.
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Comments
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupJonnybon
November 19, 2012 at 5:54PM EST Reply to CommentI loved him on the show, but this album is such a disappointment to me.
Patti
November 19, 2012 at 7:45PM EST Reply to CommentGot the album this morning at Target. Love it!
Theresa
November 19, 2012 at 9:02PM EST Reply to CommentFor a first album, I think he did great! Like other artists, I'm sure he will only get better with each passing album :))
Eiganvalue
November 19, 2012 at 11:43PM EST Reply to CommentThis is the best Idol debut album. As a totally biased DMB fan, I love Dave's "little brother". It was like Phillip was sitting in on DMB recording sessions and wrote the songs that did not make it into the "Away from the World" album. (hmm, interesting that PP even steals a little from the title!). One can tell the songs that had PP authored versus the group written songs.
He wrote these as an outline for future live performances. If PP has his way, the songs performed live will morph into their own versions a la DMB.
For an album produced in three weeks after a summer tour for a freshman performer (with his experience, let's call it a redshirt performance), he does an excellent job in fighting with Jimmy to let PP keep his stamp on the songs.
Reader
November 19, 2012 at 11:43PM EST Reply to CommentIt's a great debut album, with quite a few outstanding songs. The album is #3 (at the moment) on iTunes for a reason. People love it! Lyrics, vocals, and instrumental arrangements are really good.
steve langan
November 20, 2012 at 3:52AM EST Reply to Commentonly his fans on idol are buying his cd,because they wanna prove that his the rightful winner!
Paul Crider Well, lets see....2.5 million sales in about three weeks should put a lock fan sales and bring on the "music buyers not familiar with PP's celebrity status"!!!!!! Good luck Phil!!!!
November 20, 2012 at 10:55AM ESTsteve langan
November 20, 2012 at 3:54AM EST Reply to Commentonly his fans on idol are buying his cd ,because they wanna prove that he was the rightful winner!Write a comment...
Reader2 Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't those exactly the kind of fans you want to have. People willing to buy your music, so excited, they can't wait till it comes out and then buy an extra album to give to friend because they really like this guy and his music and want to support him.
November 20, 2012 at 4:43PM ESTcertified philatic
November 22, 2012 at 7:41AM EST Reply to CommentI love all the tracks in the album, I love you Phillip Phillips! Stay optimistic, Home was big, and this new album will surely be huge, too!
mezoismusic
November 23, 2012 at 7:14PM EST Reply to CommentThis album is great. Love the song tell me a story. The best expert review I've read is at ChewTheDirt http://chewthedirt.com/album-week-phillip-phillips-the-world-side-moon/
Check it out
Post a comment...
December 10, 2012 at 10:56PM ESTGianna
January 4, 2013 at 12:22AM EST Reply to CommentBought his cd at target instead of illegally downloading all his songs because I genuinely loved every track! Can't wait till he performs somewhere near me so I can go see him live. In love with him <3
Travis Sweat
February 7, 2013 at 10:21AM EST Reply to CommentPhillip has created a piece of work of which each song could be a hit. The fact that he did as Steve Tyler suggested and participated in writing 11 of the 17 songs speaks volumes in terms of the directions Phillip has chosen. From scat to big band to blues to jazz, to simple love songs. All of the songs which speak to the spirit of love and family resonate with me, and I am sure, with most of the listening population.