Elliott Yamin’s new album bursts with soul, emotion

Two years of dues-paying. Two years of meeting the right people. Two years of training his voice and honing his songwriting skills.

They all equate to Elliott Yamin's second album soaring at a completely different level than his self-titled 2007 debut.

Granted, despite that record's shortcomings banal lyrics and tinny production the worst offenders -- Yamin did score a Top Five, platinum-certified hit with "Wait For You," the smooth R&B ballad that helped push his album past half a million in sales.

He has returned with an A-grade new single: the title track, "Fight For Love," which floats with an irresistible combination of husky emotion blanketed in Yamin's silky voice.

The album is impeccably produced by a slew of names, including Stargate and Dave Tozer, and doesn't veer much from the R&B-pop Yamin courted on his debut -- and why should it? His strength is an expressive, doused-in-whiskey voice that bulldozes through even the most pedestrian songs.

But the processed moments are rare. And hearing him delve into the meaty funk of "Cold Heart," an organic song stacked with brass bleats and a loose, spitting vocal turn, is an instant reminder of what makes Yamin so much more than an "American Idol" also-ran.

The dark, pleading ballad "You" leads into what should be a no-brainer as the next single, "Can't Keep On Loving You," on which Yamin's voice intimately caresses a gliding piano-doused melody.

But while "Can't Keep On" is the album's earworm, the centerpiece of this sophomore effort and the standout song among the 10 he co-wrote -- is "Someday," a heart-twisting valentine to his recently deceased mother, Claudette.

Even those who haven't lost a parent will find it easy to brush away the cynicism to be moved by Yamin's emotional questioning, "Do you still hear me when I call your name? Will you be with me when I lose my way?"

That the song isn't a gloppy Celine Dion-ized ballad, but a rich, gospel-flavored hand-waver packed with organ and a squealing guitar riff is testament again to how much Yamin has learned.

So we know how his career has progressed since that oft-discussed season of "Idol," but here's a look at how the rest of the class of 2006 has fared.

Taylor Hicks: Simon Cowell hated that he won, but his self-titled debut sold 703,000 copies. Hicks' follow-up, "The Distance," arrived last month and has moved 18,000 copies. He also starred in Broadway's "Grease" as Teen Angel and is playing the role in a national tour.

Katharine McPhee: The comely runner-up's self-titled debut fizzled after selling 375,000 copies. Since the show, she has starred with David Foster on a PBS special, recorded cover tunes for soundtracks and in January signed a deal with the jazz-oriented Verve Records for a new album by year's end.

Chris Daughtry: With his band, Daughtry, the original "Idol" rocker is the most successful nonfinalist in the show's history. His "Daughtry" album has sold an astounding 4.4 million copies and launched seven hits onto the charts. The band also opened for Bon Jovi on its 2008 tour.

Paris Bennett: Her R&B debut, "Princess P," was a certified flop, selling about 22,500 copies. But a second shot is on the way this year, with Bennett reportedly shifting to a jazzier style.

Kellie Pickler: The ditzy blond has parlayed her "Hee Haw" routine into amusing talk-show stints, and she has emerged musically as a bona-fide country upstart. Her debut, "Small Town Girl," sold more than 800,000 copies, while her self-titled follow-up is at 198,000. Expect that number to spike during her just-launched Fearless Tour with new BFF Taylor Swift.

Ace Young: Even though he shaved his best asset -- those luxurious locks -- Young's future will still likely have to rely on his heartthrob looks since his self-titled debut sold a paltry 10,000 copies. But Young was nominated for a Grammy as a co-writer of Daughtry's "It's Not Over," and he wrapped a role in Broadway's "Grease" this winter (playing Kenickie). He's now co-hosting Fox's "American Idol Extra."

Bucky Covington: The laid-back Yamin buddy aw-shucks-ed his way to 403,000 in sales of his first country disc, even debuting at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart in 2007. A second album is due in September.

Mandisa: The big-voiced soul sister made some serious noise when her arrival, "True Beauty," debuted at No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums chart. "Beauty" has sold about 160,000; her two Christmas albums about 5,000 combined; and "Freedom," released in March, 22,000 copies so far.

Lisa Tucker: She has made some TV appearances -- a featured role on Nickelodeon's "Zoey 101" and a cameo on "90210" among them -- but the 10th-place finisher from the 2006 season is still hunting for a record deal.

Contact Melissa Ruggieri at (804) 649-6120 or .