Jesse McCartney-Departure 2008 CD NM

physical

Teen Idols, from Frank Sinatra to Frankie Avalon are integral to American pop culture. Jesse McCartney is a classic example. He's squeaky clean and infectiously happy. But, the reality is, unlike Peter Pan, real people grow up. Jesse's new record, Departure is less a departure form a past than an arrival at adulthood. Not many singers are releasing their third CD at 21, so McCartney has some successful history and some baggage. There's a story in the music business that Judy Garland decided with Meet Me In St. Louis that she couldn't sing in the style that she'd made a fortune on anymore. She needed to sing like a grown-up. Jesse McCartney is singing like a grown-up. No more Radio Disney. No more posing as an AOR artist without a driver's license. The record is clearly derivative of Justin Timberlake, but it works. McCartney is still vocally light and airy, but he gives consistently solid performances on 12 happy-go-lucky tracks. There's no big drama here, it's just a groovy dance record targeted at the college crowd. The first hit is "Leavin'." Girls dig it. Produced by the "Umbrella" team of Tricky and Dream, it kicks off the record with a made-for-radio feel.

Right from the start, Departure is edgier and more urban than Beautiful Soul was. It's also a bit more retro. Jesse McCartney has grown as a writer, too. He's obviously been listening to some Michael Jackson, and he gets the groove a little better than he did on past records. His vocal style is still easy and laid-back, but his rhythmic feel is more intense and hip. Tunes like "Freaky" are real departures. Produced by Madd Scientist, the track has a Prince feel and is obviously made to dance. The chorus has the same sort of elongated melodic hook that McCartney does best, but the funkier groove suits his new thing. "Rock You," which features Sean Garrett, has a touch of hip-hop, while remaining seriously radio-ready.

It makes sense that Jesse McCartney would have a whole lot of teenie-bopper stuff on a record. In an effort to move on, he teamed up with Eric Hudson for "Told You So," and got a much more subtle track than anything he's done before. It's still sort of Broadway, but the effect is definitely more mature. McCartney co-wrote almost all of this record, and it's more personal and autobiographical than his earlier records. His fan base probably aged-out of the previous stuff, certainly since the Sugar Beats and Dream Street, and this is targeted at a new audience. Will it work. It just might.

Now remember, this is also he guy who was Theodore in the Alvin And The Chipmunks movie, and the writer of "Bleeding Love" for Leona Lewis. He's an industry insider and a child star grown. He's left behind his clean-cut image on Departure, but only somewhat. He's blended a touch of R&B with a little more sex, and gotten a more sophisticated groove on, but he's still pretty. His best asset is that voice. He sings-dances-acts, but he's got pipes, and they're all over this record.

Performer	Jesse McCartney
Music genre	Pop Rock, Pop
Music release type	Album
Media format	CD
Original release date	2008-03-21
Language	English
Number of tracks	13
Has parental advisory label	N
Number of discs	1
Track listing	1. Leavin' 2. It's Over 3. Rock You 4. How Do You Sleep 5. Into Ya 6. Make Up 7. My Baby 8. Told You So 9. Relapse 10. Runnin' 11. Freaky 12. Not Your Enemy 13. [CD-ROM Track]
Record label	Hollywood
Music producer	Sean Garrett, Tricky & The-Dream, J.R. Rotem, The Clutch
Track name	Leavin'
Digital audio file format	CD
Music media format	CD
Is edited	N
Is enhanced	N