Erin McCarley - My Stadium Electric

It's interesting that Erin McCarley decided to call her second album "My Stadium Electric," because it really isn't electric at all. Perhaps a better name would have been "My Stadium Eclectic," since throughout the album, you can almost hear her shouting, "Look, I can be versatile!! Oh yeah, I can be SO versatile!!!!" Therein lies the problem. Unlike McCarley's debut album, which had a potent purity and power to it, this album feels very self-conscious--and as a result rather derivative. It's ironic that, by seemingly striving so hard to be original on her sophomore effort, McCarley has lost most of the originality that she displayed in abundance on her debut. Exactly what made her unique in the first place? Her ability to combine poignant, honest lyrics with catchy, heartfelt melodies, not the ability to bounce around in an unfocused jumble of styles. McCarley's photo on the cover kind of sums up the whole album--her hair looks rather messy and she seems out of kilter. Although not a bad album by most standards, "My Stadium Electric" is definitely a couple of notches below McCarley's debut, conforming to the stereotypical "sophomore slump." While there are some good moments, overall it's busy and overproduced, masking her voice and personality. Cutting back on some of the bells and whistles would have helped. And for the most part, the song melodies aren't that memorable, whereas the songs on McCarley's debut all had fine hooks. Now the good news. There are three standouts on the album, which do live up to the high standard McCarley set on her debut. "Pop Gun" is a playful, fiery piece of bubblegum, bringing to mind Whitney Houston's "Love Is a Contact Sport" and even Hall