Song of the Day: Crawling Back To You - Daughtry

Although Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood have been arguably the greatest successes from American Idol, Chris Daughtry has definitely been the most successful male from the show - and he didn't even win! With his new album Break the Spell coming out on November 21st, Daughtry's band (simply named Daughtry) releases their first single from the new album. Does it continue Daughtry's previous successes with singles? Read on for my take!

If you look at Daughtry's single discography, you'll notice that all 8 of their singles have charted in the top 40 in America. All 8. However, they've recently trailed off a bit; specifically, the last 2 singles both met their peak in 36th. Why is this? I would credit this due to sound degradation. Daughtry sounds great, but they often sound the same from song to song - which is why, for this review, I look to see if they've made any great changes to their sound.

The first thing I notice is that the chords used in "Crawling Back to You" are very interesting. They provide for a darker tone to a song that is otherwise melodramatic. They remind me of a rock song from the early 2000's - maybe by Staind or Three Days Grace - but I can't pinpoint exactly where I've heard them from.

The chorus of the song, however, doesn't make a grand step in the right direction for Daughtry. Although it is relatively anthemic, the best word I could use to describe the chorus is boring. I literally yawned the first time I heard the chorus to "Crawling Back to You" before reviewing it today, and it wasn't because I was tired. Sadly enough, the chorus isn't as addicting as any of Daughtry's previous songs.

Because of this, I look to the verses for support. They're on par for what the verses should sound like in a rock song, and are very emotional, but definitely aren't enough to carry the song. Specifically, I hear some real problems with how the lyrics come together. The word "burned" is supposed to bring a sense of irony to the chorus, but ends up feeling awkwardly out of place.

In the end, this song doesn't live up to expectations. I wouldn't be surprised if this becomes the 9th top 40 single for Daughtry, but that's only because this is the lead single from their new album. If their whole album carries out a sound close to this, Daughtry and 19 Recordings are in serious trouble. After all, after American Idol contestants, the only real power 19 Recordings had was with Amy Winehouse - and, sadly enough, she's dead now.

Rating: 2.5/5