Archuleta CD will please his fans

DAVID ARCHULETA; "David Archuleta" (19/Jive) ** 1/2

"American Idol" runner-up and Murray golden boy David Archuleta has thrown his hat in the ring with his self-titled debut CD.

It's everything an "American Idol" fan, especially one who loves Archuleta, would want. And for parents who are tired of teen idols slipping into the dens of iniquity — Britney Spears, anyone? — Archuleta's CD is a welcome breath of fresh, clean air.

However, it isn't a mind-boggling artistic statement. No. It's a simple pop CD that is guaranteed to sell millions.

Archuleta and 19/Jive record labels play it safe and capitalize on the singer's low-key, humble and innocent demeanor. Like most male teen-idol CDs, this one is aimed at pre- and early-teen girls' heartstrings.

That means there are no hard rockers or low-and-sassy hip-hop tunes. There are a couple of up-beat dance tunes, but it's clear Archuleta's forte is in crooning and ballads, which, at times, can get a little monotonous.

Still, with anthems such as "Touch My Hand," where Archuleta sings about taking notice to a single fan while he's on stage, and the up-tempo groove of "Don't Let Go," which Archuleta co-wrote in part with 'NSync's JC Chasez, the CD gives a new dimension of the singer to his scores of lovestruck fans.

It is also good to know that Chasez isn't the only one whom Archuleta collaborated with on songwriting. Another tune, the rockabye number called "A Little Too Not Over You," finds Archuleta co-writing with Matthew Gerrard and Robbie Nevil, who, of course, wrote "We're All in This Together" from the runaway hit film "High School Musical."

Undoubtedly, "David Archuleta" will sell big. But there are a few minor issues that need to be addressed.

First off, the CD begins with the uber-successful lead single "Crush." While that song introduced radio listeners who didn't watch "American Idol" to Archuleta's smooth tenor, it would have been better to place the song further down the sequence list, only for the sake of letting the other songs build to a sort of sequenced climax.

Another issue is the fact that Archuleta's image has always been polite and vanilla. So, when he delves into some blues-infused R&B on "Your Eyes Don't Lie," he lacks the maturity needed to persuade the listener he's sincere.

Yet, aside from "Crush," the CD features standout tracks including the ballad "You Can," which could easily be translated into a country-music slow dance, and "To Be With You," which features background vocals by Kara DioGuardi, who can, at times, bring to mind Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines.

Closing the CD is Archuleta's passionate take on Robbie Williams' "Angels." In fact, Archuleta's delivery is so emotional on that song that it leaves the listener wishing the he would have been let loose more on the other songs.

Still, with the sweeping production and crafty songwriting, "David Archuleta" is a nice little CD that fans and their parents can enjoy together.

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E-MAIL: scott@desnews.com