Album reviews: ‘American Idol’s’ new self-titled albums. MLIVE.COM

Seems only apropos that the two finalists — both Davids, mind you — who duked it out at the end of “American Idol” earlier this year would release debut albums within a week of each other. But while “American Idol” devotees are liable to snap up both CDs, they represent different ends of the pop spectrum.

With veteran producer Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance) on board, David Cook delivers unquestionably heartfelt renditions of the 13 songs that appear on his debut, though much of the album still sounds like so many other mainstream modern rock discs that clutter the landscape.

David Cook
“David Cook”
2 1/2 out of 4 starsIn a voice that resides somewhere between Rob Thomas and Eddie Vedder, Cook churns out the commercially appealing tracks “Light On” (co-written by Chris Cornell), “Declaration,” “Bar-Ba-Sol” and “Life On the Moon,” occasionally pitching in as a collaborating songwriter. The best of these is “Bar-ba-sol,” which lets loose with a terrific guitar solo and seems, well, less controlled than the other tightly wound tracks.

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