Album Review: Fefe Dobson "Joy"

It's only taken poor Fefe Dobson seven years to release a follow-up to her self-titled debut. After getting dropped from her label Island Def Jam & having her sophomore album Sunday Love (which was set to include my favorite song by her to date, "Don't Let It Go To Your Head", which has since been released by Jordin Sparks) shelved, Fefe was getting her songs featured on TV left & right, resulting in her former label taking notice, re-signing her, & finally releasing a second album from the pop-rocker. Joy shows that Fefe has done a considerable amount of growing since 2003 & deserves at least as much, if not more, success than she had back then.

1. "Ghost": This infectious single had hit written all over it & the label should've made it happen! 5/5

2. "Thanks For Nothing": A fun uptempo... ya! 4.5/5

3. "Stuttering": One of my favorite writers, Claude Kelly, did his thing with this one. Catchy as it is, everyone would have it stuck in their heads... if L.A. would just have her perform it somewhere! 5/5

4. "Can't Breathe": This epic ballad is so good, it sounds like a Ryan Tedder production. I also have to point out that there are times here when Fefe sounds just like her fellow Canadian Avril Lavigne--& that's a very good thing! 5/5

5. "You B****": Uptempos with attitude = the best kind. 4.5/5

6. "Didn't See You Coming": Unfortunately, the streak ends here. This stripped-down track falls pretty flat. 2/5

7. "Watch Me Move": This was my first taste of Joy & it sure had me take notice! It may be short--& ancient at this point--but that's what the repeat button's for..! 5/5

8. "I Want You": Though not horrible, I'm not a big fan of this one. What can I say? Just not my cup of tea. 2.5/5

9. "I'm A Lady": This track has a retro vibe to it, which isn't my favorite, but I don't mind it in small doses. 3.5/5

10. "In Your Touch": Fefe slows it down with another retro track here, but one retro song was about enough for me. It's really noisy too. 2/5

11. "Set Me Free": There's a little something endearing about this slow jam... but not much. 2.5/5

12. "Joy": Cute. 3.5/5

While Joy is pretty hit-&-miss, Fefe's a talented gal & there are some hits on here just waiting to be noticed! Not to mention that even better than some of the tracks on the album are the bonus tracks from the iTunes deluxe edition "I Made Out With Your Boyfriend" & "Johnny Cash". If you're a fan of Avril Lavigne's better work or you just want pop music with the substance of rock, try Fefe Dobson on for size!

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars