Review: Adam Lambert – The Original High

We all remember Adam Lambert from his flamboyant days on American Idol in 2009. His platform shoes and dark makeup were a lot to handle from the start, but the glamazon wasn’t going to give up after scoring the runner-up title on the televised talent show. He’s come a long way since, having released several radio hits and two corresponding albums, in addition to a fantastical tour with Queen, where he filled in as front man for the rock group’s notoriously over the top lead singer, the late Freddie Mercury. Now, almost three years after his second album release, Lambert is back with another groovy goodie. The Original High is a collection of laid-back pop songs impossible not to sing along to. Every track on the album has a catchy melody and pulsing beat thanks to Swedish songwriters and producers Max Martin and Shellback, with whom Lambert has worked before on his hit single “Whataya Want From Me”.

The album opens with a haunting introductory song, “Ghost Town”, featuring a whistle hook that you can’t listen to without instantly craving more. The title song comes in next, featuring a laid-back beat and classic house music structure. The track builds up slow, with instrumentals going quiet for each verse until the climax of the song where Lambert’s voice comes in loud and clear. It’s a reminder of his talent and place in pop music. That low-key house groove continues right into the snappy third track, “Another Lonely Night”, where the singer’s signature vocal wailing takes center stage with completely relatable lyrics about a lost love. As the album continues, Lambert takes his listeners up and down a dancing trail of easy lyrics and predictable pop flavors.

From one track to the next, Lambert’s powerful vocal talent comes honest and clean through the blazing synths and thumping bass lines with a resonating echo. Lyrically The Original High follows the less exciting but effective metaphorical theme of love being a drug, thus the album and song title. It isn’t until the bonus tracks that we really get that extra sauce in “Shame”. Melodically, the track is similar to the typical Maroon 5 song, although Lambert’s falsetto is cleaner. Lyrically, “Shame” is more honest than the rest of the album, delving into a slightly deeper level of emotion with a feeling singers don’t often express. That emotion is even audible in the singer’s swinging vocals, letting off a certain playfulness inaudible in the other made-for-radio tracks from earlier on the album. This LP is not Adam Lambert’s most creative lyrical work, but overall The Original High has the makings of a soundtrack for the summer: beats that stick, melodies that leave you craving for more, and a singer who has found his sound.

 
Written by Marina Laduda

Marina Laduda is a writer by day, singer by night. Her work can be found in a wide array of genres and industries. Founder of her own style blog and travel blog, semi-finalist of The X Factor for the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and wacko dog lover, Marina is definitely not one to stay at rest. www.marinaladuda.com

 
Author’s rating for The Original High

Pop Magazine’s official rating for The Original High

Rating key
MASTERPIECE a must-have
SUPERB for heavy rotation
EXCELLENT a great achievement
VERY GOOD a respectable result
GOOD worth checking out
FAIR an average outcome
WEAK not convincing stuff
BAD an underwhelming effort
VERY BAD quite a waste
FAIL a total failure