Timing is everything for an artist. In order to achieve major success in music's mercurial attention span, it's important to capitalize on a style in the genre of music that you are pursuing. It's probably the real reason why this album didn't become a commercial success. Had
Amanda Wilkinson been released in 2001,
Wilkinson would be the queen of the teen country-pop crossover phase, and would have been a household name.
Amanda Wilkinson is a majestic piece of work, one that is stronger than
Jessica Andrew's
Who I Am, or
Jo Dee Messina's
Burn, the real competition at the time. The album is only ten tracks long, and clocks in at 35 minutes; however the quality is strong enough to make up for it.
Wilkinson shines on the album's first official single, "Walk Away." The other more country-influenced tracks don't disappoint, either. "Something Else," "It's Okay to Cry," and "Life is a Beautiful Thing" are southern greats. Interestingly enough though, the more mainstream portion of the album sounds even better, with the strongest radio-friendly track, the upbeat exciting "No More Me and You" being a highlight of the album. Her voice is never compromised, either, considering what most pop artists are forced to fight against on their albums. In addition,
Wilkinson doesn't try to sing about stuff she doesn't know: she sings about what any 25-year-old should; new loves, nasty breakups, and poignant road trips. The real marvel of the album is that it is the ballads that sparkle the most and are the most captivating. They don't overpower, they aren't too poppy (
Faith Hill, you should take a listen here), and represent
Wilkinson, letting her emote. "Pontiacs" is the moment where
Wilkinson is forced to reminisce on the night she endured a tough break-up, and the result shimmers. "A Man to Me" is a dedication from a woman to a man about his greatest qualities, and with a simple arrangement simply shines. In addition, the final song on the album, "The Art of Letting Go," is a terrific single country-pop ballad. Yet the other songs aren't hokey. Unfortunately, teen pop-country is fading out, and this album is unfortunately too late. In this particular case, though, country music listeners should take a listen to this dazzler. So what if the album is five years late? This debut by this Canadian prodigy is fantastic, and worth a listen for anyone. ~ Matthew Chisling