I seem to be shut out of the OFC MB at the moment (pouts), so I'm left to blogging. Which I had resolved not to start because adding another diversion to the already lengthy list of Clay-related ones is precisely what I don't need if I'm ever going to finish my dissertation. Ah well. The lure of procrastination is just that strong.

Anyway, so we've now heard 3 new songs under consideration for Clay's new album, "Back for More," "Just You" and "1000 Days." And naturally, they've gotten me thinking (ack, always dangerous). Also attempting some measure of self-awareness about my expectations as I try to articulate my thoughts about them.

So I guess that's what I'll start with -- my expectations. I'm loaded with prejudice. I think 97% of what charts on CHR/Pop (and, for that matter, on AC) is generic and personality-free crap. Strangely, I don't include Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback" in that 97%, because I love its infectious beat and I love how it embraces its out & out inanity. I did, however, loathe "Rich Girl." So, my fear in the run-up to Clay's next album release has been that Clay will be saddled with an album that is 50% Jesse McCartney fluff pop and 50% Josh Groban balladic bombast. shudders Clay, as he has demonstrated in all his previous tours, is so incredibly much more than that. I’ve been longing for music from Clay that captures some of what he has showcased on tour, the pop-rock of “Kyrie” and the live IWCY, the bluesy wonders of songs like “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and the folk of James Taylor. I’m actually not wedded to any particular genre of music, as my own taste runs the gamut (though I tend to favor adult alternative/rock).

I’ve been figuring that Clay’s next album will be about a 50% concession to commercial considerations, with material geared towards radio play on CHR/Pop, Hot AC and/or AC formats, and 50% experimentation/exploration of sounds and styles that are more unique to Clay. Yeah, I do tend to hold commercial considerations and artistic distinctiveness/merit in opposition to each other, because there is so little on mainstream radio that seems to exhibit both. It’s a pity, because the two aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive, and I think a huge mistake that record execs tend to make is in thinking that only mediocrity will sell (that is a separate rant, for another time). Anyway, point being, as we approached the day that we would first encounter Clay’s new songs, I fully expected to have to resign myself to the material I considered commercial/mainstream, the same way that I had resigned myself to “Invisible” (which I never really liked; my favorite MoaM tracks were PD, “Shine,” IWCY, NMSS and the title track). Imagine my surprise when I found that I was really into BFM!

That’s for the next entry...