Music review: Katharine McPhee 鈥� 鈥業 Fall in Love Too Easily鈥�
Love is indeed in the air and Katharine McPhee is falling head over heels in love with a set of romantic jazz standards on her fifth studio release.
McPhee smoothly transitions from the pop flavorings offered on 2015鈥檚 鈥淗ysteria,鈥� to the sophisticated sounds drawn from the Great American Songbook.
McPhee鈥檚 voice is perfectly suited to perform the 10 sentimental tracks that are sure to melt hearts and evoke memories of happier, simpler times.
A double threat as both a singer and actor, McPhee got her big break as the runner-up during the fifth season of 鈥淎merican Idol.鈥� McPhee would wow the judges and audience by performing classic covers such as 鈥淪ince I Fell for You,鈥� 鈥淐ome Rain or Come Shine鈥� and 鈥淪omeone to Watch Over Me.鈥�
Soon after, McPhee would release her self-titled debut album. The release sold 116,000 copies its first week and McPhee was well on her way to becoming a star.
The mood is seductively set on the opener 鈥淎ll the Way鈥� with McPhee delivering a breathy cover version as she announces, 鈥淲hen somebody loves you/It鈥檚 no good unless he loves you all the way.鈥�
Talented producer Don Was once again pulls all the right strings by allowing McPhee鈥檚 voice to tenderly slow dance with the lush instrumental arrangements, especially heard on Cole Porter鈥檚 鈥淣ight and Day鈥� and Nina Simone鈥檚 鈥淓verything Must Change.鈥�
On 鈥淚t Never Entered My Mind,鈥� McPhee matches the warm tone previously performed so divinely by Linda Ronstadt when she moved from her traditional pop style and collaborated with Nelson Riddle in 1984 on 鈥淟ush Life.鈥�
Intimate versions of 鈥淚鈥檒l Be Seeing You,鈥� 鈥淪ooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)鈥� and closing track 鈥淏lame It on My Youth鈥� display McPhee鈥檚 vocal elegance and vulnerability.
鈥淚 Fall in Love Too Easily鈥� beautifully demonstrates how the 33-year-old McPhee has grown during her career and clearly proves she has shed that runner-up label.
Since it is also the holiday season, be sure to check out McPhee鈥檚 2010 Christmas album 鈥淐hristmas Is the Time to Say I love You.鈥� 鈥淚t鈥檚 Not Christmas Without You鈥� is gorgeously done and is one of my favorite holiday tracks.