Hale Kilinahe: Pith of Pop: Pink

The bad news — I think she's trying too hard. All of the songs on this album are crowd-pleasers. There's nothing too edgy, there's just the right amount of angst, yet it's full of hooks and even has something resembling a dance club anthem ("Get This Party Started"). But Pink has such a great voice it's almost too good for the songs. Given the fact that she was forced to record a hip-hop/ R&B record that really wasn't her style, it's a good bet that she just wanted to play it safe and release a second album that was a surefire hit.

My favorite song on this album is "Misery", Pink's duet with Steven Tyler. It's kind of the oddball track on the album. It's the only bluesy, non-poppy, minimally-produced song on an album full of songs family-friendly enough to wind up on Kidz Bop 4. "Dear Diary" is close to the type of songs on her first album. She sings it in kind of that Mariah Carey-ish whispery voice, which is way overdone, but I like the sound of it.

I can imagine Sheryl Crow singing "Numb". And I think Pink may be trying to channel Portishead in "Gone to California". I'd rather listen to the latter, but the former is a better showcase for Pink's voice.