Review: David Cook's debut CD

New York NewsdayNovember 17, 2008

Like most "American Idol" champ debuts, " David Cook" (19/RCA) won't go down as the rocker's best album. It's uneven, sort of rushed and slightly schizophrenic, held together mainly by his charming growl and producer Rob Cavallo's rockish gloss. But that only speaks to David Cook's considerable promise, bolstered by the album's impressive middle. The power ballads "Life on the Moon" and "Mr.Sensitive" should prove even more durable than the smash "The Time of My Life." He stretches boundaries creatively with the metallic, grinding "Bar-Ba-Sol" - part Pearl Jam fist-pumper, part Alice in Chains slither. Somehow, "David Cook" matches its creator - a little unfocused but brimming with potential and so much likability that the faults get forgotten.

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