Christy Carlson Romano

• Artist: Christy Carlson Romano
• Rating:
• Release Date: October 26, 2004
• Type: Enhanced CD-ROM
• Genre: Soundtrack

Review

Christy Carlson Romano doesn't quite seem to fit in with such Disney-bred teen pop peers like Britney Spears and Hilary Duff. Perhaps it's because Romano started her musical career a little later than Hilary, but it's more likely because her character of Ren on Disney's Even Stevens was smarter, more sensible, and more ambitious than Lizzie McGuire -- precisely the kind of teenager who wouldn't have been into light frothy teen pop. Because of this, it's kind of disarming to hear her sing such willfully silly songs as "Let's Bounce" -- Ren would never have the patience for this on Even Stevens, so why would Romano? If you get past that disconnect, the teen pop on Christy's eponymous debut mini-LP -- consisting entirely of songs previously released on other Disney albums and soundtracks, with the exception of the new tune "Dive In" -- isn't bad at all. It's well-produced and catchy, as lightweight as early Hilary Duff tunes at their best. The older material, whether it's the self-serious ballad "Colors of the Wind" or the pulsating hi-NRG throwback "Say the Word," doesn't hold its own next to the stronger newer tunes -- "Let's Bounce" and "Anyone but Me" -- which borrow a page from Ashlee Simpson's harder-edged, guitar-heavy hit debut. As such, the mini-LP is surprisingly incoherent, but at its best, it's charmingly lightweight, even if Romano never quite erases the suspicion that she could do better than the music here. After all, Ren would have done something smarter, wouldn't have she? ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Dive In	Matthew Gerrard	Christy Carlson Romano	(3:14)
Let's Bounce	Matthew Gerrard	Christy Carlson Romano	(3:18)
Anyone But Me	Matthew Gerrard	Christy Carlson Romano	(3:22)
Colors of the Wind	Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz	Christy Carlson Romano	(3:57)
Say the Word	Danny Jacob, Janis Liebhart	Christy Carlson Romano	(2:50)
Could It Be	Cory Lerios, George Gabriel	Christy Carlson Romano	(2:51)
Dream Vacation		Christy Carlson Romano	(3:07)
Teacher's Pet	Joe Lubin	Christy Carlson Romano	(5:23)
Say the Word [Music Video][*]	Danny Jacob, Janis Liebhart	Christy Carlson Romano
Teacher's Pet [Music Video][*]	Joe Lubin	Christy Carlson Romano

Credits

Adrian Gurvitz (Producer), Matthew Gerrard (Producer), Jay Landers (Executive Producer), Cory Lerios (Producer), Bob Mann (Arranger), Tony Phillips (Producer), Tony Phillips (Mixing), Steve Tyrell (Producer), Krish Sharma (Mixing), Gene Grimaldi (Mastering), Dani Markman (A&R), Steve Sterling (Design), Christy Carlson Romano (Main Performer), George Gabriel (Producer)