Posted on: September 7, 2007 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Paris Bennett – Princess P / 2007 306 / 16 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/parisbennett / http://www.tvtrecords.com /

Paris Bennett was one of the stars from American Idol . Specifically (for those people that actually pay attention to it), ey was the fifth place winner in the fifth season of Idol. The introductory track to the disc, “All Hair the Princess”, is a song that reflects a gospel influence. “Ordinary Love” is a track that has Bennett take on a Beyonce type of vocal style, but the combination guitar/rock sound blended with clapping and snapping seems to provide a little too much in the way of dissention during the track. This has the negative effect of going and detracting from the vocals, distracting individuals from what should be the focal point of the track. “Dreamin’” is the next full track, and seems to blend the vocal style of an Eve and a Lauryn Hill over what is a very Spartan type of arrangement.

Theoverall sound of the track is something that reflects the gospel influence, and could conceivably be a track that charted in the early nineties. The same type of retro sound is present during “Daddy”. The slower tempo of Bennett’s vocals begin to put eir in a little bit of a rut. There are sections during this track that Bennett speeds up the vocals, but the track does not shine. I could completely see Bennett charting with “My Boyfriend’s Back”, a cover of The Angels’ 1963 hit. I could see this track given a back to back treatment with Sean Kingston’s “Beautiful Girls”, in that both attempt to approach success through a well-trodden path. “Can’t Control Myself” is another slower track but it succeeds where the other slower tracks on “Princess P” did not.

There is a compelling instrumentation that presents itself throughout the entirety of the track, making this a song that is light, airy, and ultimately something that individuals can easily sing along with. This track is the first one where I as a listener can hear the range and ability of Bennett. The harder-edged, more angry sound of “I’m So Hot” is a welcome change of pace for listeners, and shows them that Bennett is not a one-trick pony. This is a good, solid first effort. Individuals that are not fans of pop music will likely not find much that they can appreciate here, but for the Hilary Duff and J-Lo set, “Princess P” may be a necessary purchase. Give it a go.

Top Tracks: Daddy, Caught Up

Rating: 6.2/10

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