Tempted by reviews comparing Hilary Duff's new sound to Rachel Stevens and Kylie Minogue, I eagerly purchased Dignity hoping for another Euro/Goldfrapp-esque pop pastiche.
To put it mildly, it falls a bit short of my expectations. A few of the opening tracks are pretty good and she mines her recently failed relationship with Good Charlotte's Joel Madden, which is notable, given that her previous work--all under the Disney Buena Vista Records label--was (lacking further analysis) likely pop trifles, albeit occasionally decent ("Come Clean" was a pretty good song).
Opening track "Stranger" has a good groove, a mild Middle Eastern flavor, and obviously explores said relationship with Madden. Faster "Dignity" rails on the trappings of the fake Hollywood lifestyle, dropping brand names like Jimmy Choo, and is probably my favorite track. First single "With Love" is good too, sounding vaguely like Nelly Furtado's "Afraid." "Danger," another decent track, comes closest to sounding like something from Rachel Steven's Come and Get It.
After those four tracks though, there's little else I found very distinctive or interesting about this album. "Gypsy Woman," sadly not a Crystal Waters remake, is a monotonous mess. "Never Stop" takes a sip from the '80s throwback fountain, but isn't as grand as something Gwen Stefani or even Dannii Minogue would unleash from their multiple trips back for another drink from there.
The only other song worth mentioning is "Outside of You," which, after a series of well-produced but unmemorable songs, provided at least a reminder in closing that Hilary Duff has the potential to be something More interesting than she is. The ideas are here to make Hilary Duff into something great, they just aren't fully formed yet.
Best Tracks: With Love, Dignity, Stranger, Danger, Outside of You
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