The gleaming surfaces of
Piece by Piece offers evidence that during the four-year hiatus between 2011's
Stronger and this 2015 release,
Kelly Clarkson and 19/BMG spent considerable time figuring out which direction she should pursue as she entered the second phase of her career. Instead of consolidating the assured mature pop of
Stronger,
Piece by Piece refurbishes
Kelly, piling on EDM accouterments and finding her singing cuts co-written by such successful contemporary pop hitmakers as
Sia ("Invincible"),
Matthew Koma ("Someone"), and
MoZella ("Take You High") on an album largely produced by Greg Kurstin, who has had hits with
Sia,
Tegan and Sara,
Ellie Goulding, and
Lily Allen. Previously, Kurstin proved to be a good fit for
Kelly -- he produced three cuts on
Stronger, including its title track -- and his decision on
Piece by Piece is to emphasize sound, not song.
Clarkson nevertheless performs as powerfully as ever, as illustrated by
Sia's "Let Your Tears Fall" with its appealing nocturnal pulse, "Good Goes the Bye" floating upon its percolating beats, and "Nostalgic," a nifty piece of neo-new wave. These cuts, along with the title track, manage to strike the right balance of
Kelly's indomitable character and fresh electronic beats. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine