April -- "Touch the Sky"
"Touch the Sky" is a pop heavy, hip-hop inflected outing by southern Cali singer April. It's the type of music that the 8-15 year old girl demographic swallows down everyday with their Ridalin. My main problem with the album overall are the lyrics -- they're too devoid of depth and empty for my liking. Dance songs like "I Just Wanna Kick It", and ballads like "Let These Feelings Go" are so lyrically cliché, and syrupy sweet I almost went into a diabetic coma. As with other releases from Kamikaze, the production is tight especially shining on the hip-hop tracks. The bouncy beats on tracks like "Do Whatcha Wanna Do" are some of the shining moments on the album. As for the vocals, she needs more range on the ballads that dot the album. The pop and R&B cuts are the territory she works best in, but sadly these don't dominate the album.
The Bottom Line: Mindnumbingly bad lyrics, an effective production staff, sometimes overextended vocals, and a pretty face on the cover make "Touch the Sky" an average pop album, an acceptable R&B album, and a so-so ballad crooner. Overall, its forgettable more than anything else.
Rating: 5/10
