Better Than Blood

Album Review

Some artists flash onto the music scene in one quick motion. With the help of computers and mass marketing, fresh-faced teens explode into the music industry with a lot of makeup and digital vocals. Megan McCauley is certainly not one of those "lucky" girls. Since 2004, she has been working on her debut album, Better Than Blood, and struggling to make a name for herself. Wind-Up Records continuously attempted to market and promote the then-17-year-old and make her into a cross between Evanescence and Pink, but even with promotion on a couple of movie soundtracks, (Elektra and Fantastic Four), McCauley didn't succeed in establishing herself as a star. She tried once again to gain fame by releasing an EP in 2005, but it led her nowhere. Finally, after recording a few more tracks, she had enough credits under her belt to release her debut album. Therein lies most likely the only problem with the album, which is how it has been formed. McCauley has taken on three personas on Better Than Blood: Amy Lee of Evanescence, Pink, and post-Breakaway Kelly Clarkson, therefore incorporating elements of depressive rock, in your face power pop, and acoustic performances that entwine with passionate songwriting. However, McCauley doesn't blend the three genres well, rather, she leaves them staunchly separated throughout the 11 tracks on this album. The earliest recorded tracks are the most reflective of the Clarkson portion; tracks like "Porcelain Doll" and "I'll Pay You to Shoot Him" are mesmerizing and simply beautiful, mainly because the ideas are all McCauley's own; she's a terrific songwriter whose creative presence glistens like musical tears.

The Amy Lee-like portion of the disc is clearly from the era when McCauley originally attempted to be a superstar; her tracks from the superhero soundtracks Elektra and Fantastic Four, "Wonder," "Die for You," and "Reverie" are all meticulously raw and vocally hungry bombastic ballads. Rather than dulling out her vocals through technology, McCauley chooses to leave them natural if at times imperfect. Finally, the latter portion of the album is recorded à la Pink. The upbeat tracks are pure power pop, with the most radio-friendly track being the twice-failed single "Tap That," which would be difficult to distinguish from "U & Ur Hand" from Pink's I'm Not Dead.

The three distinct styles at work on Better Than Blood could've been blended together so well, but are instead so strikingly different on this debut that you get the impression that you are listening to three separate, distinct albums, but not one perfect one. The strongest tracks are the most reflective of the harder rock that McCauley belts out, as seen on tracks like "Wonder," "Reverie," "See Through," and "Wrong Way Out." They seem to reflect the physical look that McCauley is aiming for as well (note her choice of attire and hairstyle on the cover of her album: she's dripping with blood, a seemingly unfriendly choice). In the end though, that particular image is not defined well enough, there is too much musical confusion but the songwriting is strong, the vocals are unique, and the overall feel is nice; however the album is not a reflection of McCauley as an artist, rather the struggle that a girl must face: should she be indulgent and create an album that she will love and will attract her most impassioned fans? Or will she go with her producers and be just another pop prodigy? Unfortunately, the struggle is still on.