Clay Aiken Has Come a Long Way to Get to On My Way Here

When Clay Aiken released his last album, A Thousand Different Ways, many complained about its focus on classic love songs at the expense of original music. I had no objection to the direction Clay chose to take there, but it was still exciting to see that the On My Way Here, his latest effort, is made up of new songs. I had hoped that more songs would bear his name in the writer's credits, but at least several seem to have been written specifically for him, and all suit him well.

The collection, firmly in adult contemporary territory, is thematically similar to his previous albums, with plenty of love songs along with some anthems of self-awareness. The titular ballad, perhaps my favorite track, is the strongest example of the latter. It has an autobiographical feel to it, with specific details like the kitchen floor in a childhood home, parents' divorce and an adulthood filled with mobility. Add to that all the hints of adversity and a terrific melody with clever phrasing, and you've got a song with the right message and emotional punch for an American Idol finale number that feels much more intimate than the incredibly catchy but somewhat vacuous This Is The Night.

The Real Me also explores Clay's personal journey, though it's entwined with a love song. This piano-driven track is among the quietest on the album and probably the most emotive. Clay comes across as endearingly shy and geeky here, reminding me of the very young Paul Simon in Just a Boy. There's almost a whispered quality to his voice, and he glides into a gentle falsetto at several points in the song, creating a gorgeous effect.

As Long As We're Here is a love song as well, with a second verse lyrically reminiscent of Billy Joel's An Innocent Man. Urging the object of his affections to give their love a shot despite past scarring, he makes a more general statement in the chorus about making the most of the time we have by focusing on love. Celtic instrumentation gives this song a unique flavor.

Sacrificial Love has Clay questioning the sincerity of his significant other. It's an interesting bookend to The Real Me; instead of being grateful that his girlfriend sees "the real me," he doubts whether he is seeing the real her. I love the melody on this one, especially on the chorus, which in patches bears a slight resemblance to Once's Oscar-winning Falling Slowly, and the violins augment the emotional quality of the lyrics.

Lover All Alone is the sole album offering penned by Clay, along with two other songwriters. Some fans have heard it before, as it was offered as a bonus track on his previous album, but it's a nice inclusion nonetheless, an introspective exploration of loneliness and misplaced affections. I purchased my album at WalMart and consequently received the bonus track Forget I Ever Knew You. It's a nice song, but frankly I find the bonus track trend annoying, as it often means you have to buy the album two or three times in order to get all the potential songs. I haven't heard if there are any other bonus tracks offered at other stores; KMart and Target, for instance, often have them as well. The price is right at WalMart, though; it only cost me ten dollars, well below the advertised price.

Other albums standouts include Everything I Don't Need, whose growly country-rock flavor is unusual for Clay; Something About Us, an incredibly soft and tender love song rich with piano and strings; the guitar and percussion-driven Falling; and Where I Draw the Line, an energetic number that Clay has performed on television to promote the album. There's also rising from adversity-themed Ashes, Weight of the World and Grace of God. The latter is especially nice, as it focuses not primarily on him but on others in this world who are suffering. As a Unicef ambassador and the founder of the Bubel Aiken Foundation, Clay has shown his commitment to relieving the burdens of others as much as he can, so that song serves as a reminder of his dedication.

Clay has been very productive in the five years since he came in second in season two of American Idol. A Thousand Different Ways came out just a year and a half ago, but for devoted fans, that's long enough. May is off to a terrific start for Claymates with On My Way Here.