This young lady needs no introduction especially to those very young fans who have avidly followed her various TV movie adventures, and of course bought her first album in the tens of thousands. But just as the young move on to more adventurous music, Tisdale’s management and record company realises that musically she also has to move on to stay in contact with her fans, while staying very commercial. I think they may well have succeeded…

Looking at the album artwork the dreadful photos make her look slimmer, older and sexier. Reading the sleeve notes a veritable army of songwriters has been enlisted along with a band (for live performances?), orchestra and a producer able to produce the most epic power pop/rock sounds. In other words no money has been spared here in creating a musical image with very long legs.

The opening is also revealing, consisting as it does of an orchestra limbering up for the big show. ‘Acting Out’ is then revealed as an epic power pop song with drums and guitars adding a driving hard rock ambience. Lyrics are half-decent, melody is powerful and the lady’s mezzo voice piles on the horsepower. Production makes it all work and it’s clever… Hot single ‘It’s Alright, It’s OK’ is next and delivers the same clever formula. ‘Masquerade’ opens with a techno dance style intro before the same formula is applied albeit with a more jagged vibe. I imagine this song being played at posh dance clubs with young sophisticats waving their underfed, shaved arms around, with Paris out-of-it and jigging sat on a sofa alongside some expensive and handsome football player. ‘Overrated’ applies the formula again this time with swaying massed violins and vocal overdubs providing a very slight departure.

‘Hot Mess’ opens with some quite novel and stylish guitar passages and I’m thinking,  ‘ah, something different…’ The pace is slower, more contemplative but quickens during choruses providing the first hint of some diversity here. ‘How Do You Love Someone’ has a much darker vibe created by a death march instrumental intro and a multi-layered, echoed vocal. Lyrics aren’t bad, melody is by the truckload and I rather guiltily have to admit that I like this enough to play it on my Sunday radio show…’Tell me Lies’ opens up slowly and moodily and while it eventually hits a familiar note still offers a reasonable degree of difference.

‘What If’ opens with very pleasant piano notes and a ‘clean’ vocal but then enters familiar territory with those overpriced, bog standard soaring choruses. Hard to fault, hard to praise but the BBC will love it (and therefore so will every other manstream radio station). Mark my words, this is the next single… ‘Erase And Rewind’ sports a strong dance beat pulsing away under another familiar formulaic arrangement. ‘Hair’ is a rhythmic, clappy, teen pop song that will appeal to those super young fans who still have a few innocent years left in them. ‘Delete You’ is an angsty musical jibe at some poor bloke who is being dropped computer-style. It’s a little different with its punk ambience and nice changes of pace. ‘Me Without You’ is a piano-led romantic ballad that sheds a lot of the instrumental baggage that went before and is actually quite moving in its message and performance. Two bonus tracks including ‘Switch’ from the movie ALIENS IN THE ATTIC complete the album.

So how’s the young lady done? Well, she’s provided a decent face and voice which is always a good start. Young and older fans I imagine will buy it and make it a much bigger hit than the last effort. For me, there’s 3 or 4 good songs and many that sound exactly the same. That said, within its generic pop market it has a lot to offer.

3.7/5