Lara Fabian
Lara Fabian
Record Label

You've heard the comparisons. French-Canadian Lara Fabian has been endlessly billed as the next Barbara Streisand/Celine Dion (who's also French-Canadian. Must be something in the water). Does Fabian live up to those names?

Yes and no. From this, her self-titled debut, you come away with the impression that, although armed with the vocal range of a sonic boom, Fabian's music is so slick it could slide off a hedgehog. It should be noted that she was signed by Sony Head Honcho Tommy Mottola, who guided Mariah Carey through her most successful (and clothed) period. He knows what works, he knows the formula for success, and that, ultimately, is what ends up being the only negative thing about the album.

Most of it is generated and mechanical. Almost every ballad is as over-powering and blah as the one before. Broken Vow is classically over-done, while cuts like Love By Grace and You Are My Heart make you ask yourself "are you sure you didn't buy Celine Dion?" Not to say they are all cookie-cutter however. The true centerpiece is the beautiful Adagio. With well-done backing music that doesn't drown out Fabian's voice or scream, "you've heard this before!" it is as close to a masterpiece this album is going to get.

Next up, the fast, radio-friendly songs. Here, when not in forced-ballad mode, is where you show just how well Fabian can carry a song. The first single I Will Love Again is a perfect example. Without her powerful voice driving the hook, the song wouldn't work. But, the album truly hits a groove when it hits the light tunes. It is in these Sarah Mclachlan-esque songs that Fabian finds a happy medium between ballad and dance, and shines. With great cuts like Giving Up On You, Part of Me, and Yeliel (My Angel), Fabian's voice takes center stage, without having to fit a style but just singing.

Let's not turn Lara Fabian into another power-balladeer. We all know girlie has a great voice. She's also hipper, younger, and just plain cooler than Dion and Streisand. Instead of marketing her to over-the-hill single women, she should take the stage in a tube-top and show Britney and Christina how it's done.

--David Wonpu