Review Summary: Despite hints of songwriting talent and future potential, this is simply another run-of-the-mill polished pop-rock LP from an Idol winner.
By drawing in millions of viewers more than once per week, reality shows have taken over the television world during the past decade or so. With albums connected to such series being released seemingly every other week, the world of music is not immune to the plague. Idol, X Factor, Congo’s Got Talent, Dance Your Fat A$$ Off; they’re all at fault. And the Australian public will fall victim to the bug once more with the 7th season of Australian Idol about to begin. Somewhere along the way, they are sure to wheel out incumbent Wes Carr for a performance or two.
Admittedly, the 26 year old South Australian was not quite your average Idol “wanna be”. Firstly, he was a singer-songwriter, which is arguably a rarity on Idol. He also can play multiple instruments, including piano, acoustic guitar, organ & keyboards. This helped him make some independent recordings in the past, not to mention being part of the band Tambalane with Silverchair drummer Ben Gillies. And then there were his Idol performances, which included songs by the Rolling Stones, Abba, The Beatles & Michael Jackson. To put it mildly, he romped the competition in, with the final few weeks nothing more than a formality. Hell, I can’t even recall 2nd place-getter Luke Dickens!
As always, Idol winners are handed a song at the end of the competition which goes on to become their lead single. In Carr’s case, that track was ‘You’, a bouncy little ditty with a harmonica-backed catchy chorus. Overstuffed with everything from a piano-dominant bridge to a subsequent guitar solo, it does prove that Carr’s husky vocals are best showcased when performing quirky left-of-center pop-rock. Not too dissimilar opener ‘Any Other Way’ greets as a fantastic surprise, with an upbeat & infectious vibe that resembles a show tune. Horns, organ, piano & female backing vocals all work a treat here and it is a shame that this album highlight only lasts 2:30. In fact, horns probably should have been used more since they also play a part on the laid-back Jack Johnson sounding acoustic cut ‘Hurricanes’, which Carr pulls off surprisingly well.
Elsewhere, there are a few other noteworthy tracks which give away Carr’s influences. ‘Stay Awake’ is his take on Southern Rock, which borrows a little from The Black Crowes and even more from Gavin DeGraw. 2nd single ‘Feels Like Woah’ has echoes of both Bruce Springsteen and late 90s Bon Jovi, while 3rd single ‘Fearless’ follows by being overly reliant on a free-flowing sing-along chorus. ‘Love Is An Animal’ later attempts to pull off the same vibe (complete with handclaps), but falls on its own sword with some terribly corny lyrics.
And then there are the album’s many straight-forward pop-rock ballads… To put it bluntly, they are all yawn-inducing. It doesn’t matter if they are an attempt at epic (‘When We Were Kings’), piano-based (‘Light Years’ & ‘The Way The World Looks’) or verging on mid-tempo (‘East Coast’), they all bore. It’s a little surprising too since Carr shows hints of genuinely talented songwriting (‘You’ was the only track he didn’t at least co-write with U.K writer/producers T.Jay & Adam Argyle). There is an honest story-telling feel to his songs, yet on these cuts he seems to be singing to himself and the lack of listener involvement significantly hurts them.
On face value, Wes Carr is simply another run-of-the-mill Idol graduate performing polished pop-rock. In truth, he is a little better than that and the potential for him to grow and produce something better in the future definitely exists. Unfortunately, ‘The Way the World Looks’ too intermittently showcases his talent and eventually results in being nothing more than average. Maybe it would have been better if Carr had not won the contest and instead finished runner-up, as this reviewer suggested was preferred for Idol contestants on his review of Jessica Mauboy’s ‘Been Waiting’.
Recommended Tracks: Any Other Way, You & Hurricanes.
