Kimberley Locke came in third in the 2003
American Idol, behind winner
Ruben Studdard and second-place finisher
Clay Aiken. Unlike
Nikki McKibben, the third-place contestant in the first
American Idol who was virtually written out of
AI history once that season finished,
Locke was able to release an album of her own, with
One Love appearing in May 2004, about a year after her
AI journey ended.
One Love lands part way between
Kelly Clarkson's
Thankful and
Clay Aiken's
Measure of a Man. It's a polished mainstream
pop album, with hints of
Clarkson's
dance-pop in the rhythms of a few tracks, but its heart is much closer to the MOR
adult contemporary of
Aiken, even if it's never quite as square as the cheerfully, defiantly bland
Measure of a Man.
Locke is a good singer, and she comes across better on record than either
Clay or
Ruben, never sounding as thin or strained as either singer. That may not be a fair comparison, however, since both had to rush out their albums in a matter of months while
Locke was allowed to take her time, but regardless, she comes across well throughout the album, even outshining
Aiken on their duet,
"Without You." She also has some solid tunes here, particularly the opener,
"8th World Wonder," and, in general, it's hookier than
Measure of a Man, if not
Thankful. The one problem with
One Love is that even if the material is professionally written and produced, there isn't much that's outright memorable. Instead, it's a pleasant collection of background music, delivered with an appealing earnestness by
Locke. While that might not make for the most noteworthy of albums, it is a nice listen, and
Kimberley Locke acquits herself well with this good-natured debut. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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