Measure of a Man

No one will lament the passing of the boy band phenomenon; now the American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken has released his first album. He's picked up right where 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys left off, not only borrowing Andreas Carlsson, the Swedish songsmith who penned some of their biggest hits (also using the services of other well-known popmeisters like Desmond Child and Cathy Dennis), but turning out the same type of impeccable over-produced and seamless creations that the Orlando pop mafia rode up the charts at the dawn of the millennium. Several years into the new millennium it seems like there's still quite a bit of life left in that zeitgeist, since Aiken's Measure of a Man debuted at number one on the Billboard charts. Well crafted and well sung, but at times lacking discernable personality or endearing idiosyncrasies, many of Aiken's tunes sound the same, whether he's lamenting the lack of love in his life ("Invisible"), reveling in it ("Perfect Day"), or supporting his fellow man ("I Will Carry You"). As a made-for-TV pop star, it'll be interesting to see how Measure of a Man measures up in the years to come. --Jaan Uhelszki