by Chris "Glitterama" Sydney, Australia Reviewed on January 19th, 2005
I bought Lindsay Lohan's 'Speak' on principle - she's a redhead (so in the pop world of bleach blondes, the odds are already against her), I loved the ridiculous-ness 'Rumours' and its faux-ghetto 'leave me alone' lyric, and she was in 'Mean Girls'... duh. 'Speak' was destined to sit alongside my LaToya Jackson and Village People CD's, more as a novelty item than anything else. So imagine my surprise when it turns out to be one of my favourite releases in recent memory.
I'm surprised there has been so many reviews likening Lindsay's debut effort to Ashlee Simpson and Hilary's latest offering. Clearly there are obvious similarities - the Avril-lite sound all three employ is the sound du jour, the new brand of teen pop for the 2000's - but there is a sense of fun and an energy throughout 'Speak' which is lacking in both her contemporaries. Whilst Ashlee tries desperately to sound genuinely hard-edged and Hilary releases her overly long and semi-confessional sophomore (Christina's 'Stripped' it is not), 'Speak' revels in its contrived nature. Lindsay is a byproduct of noughties pop culture and she makes no apologies for it.
The album obviously changed direction halfway through recording, probably shortly after the 'Dirrty' meets 'My Prerogative' hip-pop stomper 'Rumours' stalled on American radio. A handful of tracks from these early sessions remain, namely a steamy electro cut along the same lyrical lines of 'Rumours' called 'To Know Your Name', the Pink-esque title track, and the international bonus track 'Magnet'. Whilst the rest of the album takes a more predictable pop/rock route, the electro influence is still obvious on songs like 'Anything But Me' and the infectious 'Nobody Til You' both of which effortlessly teams an eighties synthesised sound with glossy guitar riffs typical of producer John Shanks' work.
There are a couple of fillers (namely 'Anything But Me' and 'Disconnected') but the highlights are so good such minor missteps are easy to overlook. The opening track aptly titled 'First' is perhaps the most surprising, teaming an old-school rock riff with a quirky melody and double entendres apletny ('I wanna come first'), whilst 'Something I Never Had' is a decidedly touching take on unrequited love. The obvious stand-out is the second single 'Over', a galloping midtempo sporting the best vocals and most instant chorus on the entire disc.
Despite the album's title, there is little Lindsay has to actually 'speak' about throughout the album's 12 tracks except moaning about the paparazzi and limp teenage renderings of love. It is unashamedly substance-free and photos of Lindsay holding a broken but pink and glittery guitar in the liner notes only emphasise the fact that 'Speak' is a celebration of artifice. Her voice is sweet on record with a slightly affected rasp and holds up well throughout the album's duration. In lesser hands 'Speak' would have been a monumental disaster, but with Lohan's tongue firmly planted in cheek it turns out to be the best guilty pleasure of 2004.
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