Jason Castro is yet another “American Idol” contender to produce a humdrum debut album upon entering the business.
The dreadlocked performer essentially mirrors his routine on the show: acoustic guitar strumming accompanied by his soft crooning voice. This tactic might have gotten him to fourth place on national television, but on Idol he was singing covers that had already proven successful. The songs penned by Castro on the album prove less exciting. Accordingly, his cover of Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” is the best track, but it’s a song that’s difficult to screw up.
As for the rest of Castro’s work, “blah” is an appropriate adjective. The instrumentation is sparse and prevents one song from sticking out from the next. The fault is not with Castro’s vocals or lyrics. His emotions are real and his intentions good. Perhaps with some instrumental help, singles would emerge.
An amazon.com extended version adds an extra selection of covers that might distract from the album’s lackluster songs.
The regular version of the album clocks in short with only eight tracks, but at this point, that might be for the best.
