Melinda Doolittle placed 3rd during the 2007 season of the television juggernaut, American Idol (season 6). A former professional back up singer, Doolittle routinely impressed A.I. judges and viewing audiences with her soulful voice which rang out again and again in stark contrast to her meek stage persona. Though I'm not a diehard Idol-watcher, I'd have to admit that after catching Doolittle once, I did bother to tune in again to see how she'd do. It was hard not to root for her, because Doolittle was such a surprising pro in a field of rank amateurs.
Like all contestants on American Idol, Doolittle was required to prove herself by singing a smorgasbord of songs with assurance including "My Funny Valentine" (Rodgers & Hart), "Sweet Sweet Baby" (Aretha Franklin), "I'm A Woman" (Lieber & Stoller), even "Have A Nice Day" (Bon Jovi). Doolittle was one of the few who actually managed to pull off this schizophrenic performing seal act with her head held high, but her week-after-week success also served to make her harder to define as a performer.
This week, Doolittle finally released her long-awaited first solo album, Coming Back to You. She seems to have chosen a "retro-soul" approach, and the album sounds like one you'd have expected from Melba Moore or Gladys Knight in the mid-1970s. The album--like the singer--is pleasant listening, but that's both a blessing and a curse.
Highlights--to my ear--include "The Best of Everything" in which Doolittle's muscular voice gets an ever-building workout, and "Wonderful" which grooves along sweetly with irresistible girl-group backing vocals. "I'll Never Stop Loving You" is an enjoyable detour into the Doris Day songbook, with a lush string orchestra backing Doolittle's entirely convincing delivery of an old-school ballad.
I'd sum up the album's shortcomings with two words: "Adult Contemporary." The musical arrangements are occasionally so generic they flirt with Muzak territory. Wrong-headed production choices short-circuit some other moments: the toe-tapping "Dust My Broom" sounds like it's building into a real barn-burner until it inexplicably fades out fast. Likewise the album's final track, the ballad "Wonder Why," closes things out with a mellow vibe but the final note is cut so short I couldn't help wondering if they had to unplug the keyboard to get out of the studio on time.
What I'd wish for Doolittle next time around is more of what she brought to her best moment on American Idol. Singing one of Bon Jovi's latter-day rock anthems, "Have A Nice Day," Doolittle stepped well beyond her comfort zone and hit the song out of the park:
Clearly, Doolittle is capable of moving beyond her musical safety zone, but I think she needs a producer who's up to the task of leading her there. Next album, I'm crossing my fingers for Jack White (Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose) or Rick Rubin (Johnny Cash's late-career albums) to step up and take Doolittle to the promised land!
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