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Ashlee Simpson - Bittersweet World
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For all his undeniable genius, Timbaland obviously isn't that picky. Two weeks after producing the goods for Madonna's Hard Candy, he pops up all over this, Ashlee Simpson's third album. Sure, he's probably got some hefty bills to pay, but he can't be that desperate.
Alongside Kenna and Neptunes man Chad Hugo, Timbaland has produced a finely crafted vehicle for Simpson, as she switches from the guitar driven pop of her first two efforts into the now well trodden territory of beats. It’s a well wrought effort that sits the singer somewhere between Kelly Clarkson and Gwen Stefani, but Simpson herself brings very little to the table.
Tunes like ‘Outta My Head’, ‘Ragdoll’ and ‘Rule Breaker’ ooze Stefani-like charisma but don’t have her vocals to match. Pieced together, the tracks rarely complement each other, adding insult to injury. Take The Cure-infused title track or the ludicrous ‘Hot Stuff’ and compare it to ‘Little Miss Obsessive’ – made from the scraps of a One Republic B-Side – and you’ll get a feel of the awkward mish-mash of styles that the album tries to accommodate. It’s either the quirkiest and most fun album of the year or just the result of a horrible identity crisis.
Simpson remains an enigma for the UK audience and Bittersweet World does nothing to clear up her purpose. An album that’s as easy to recollect as a heavy night of drinking, it’s the epitome of a skin-deep LP that'll churn out a couple of singles before it drifts into the also-ran ether.
Tom Young
