Jennifer Paige's New Album "Starflower" Starts Off Strong

Lots of albums tend to put all the good stuff towards the beginning and end. Some artists may use this as a tactic to hide some sub-par content and sandwich it in between the good stuff, or it may just be a marketing tactic. You may not have heard Jennifer Paige's name since her 1998 hit 'Crush,' but she's still here pumping out the tunes. Her new album Starflower starts off strong, but does lose a bit of energy as it goes on.

When this album starts, it starts hard. It's led in by the dark and dramatic 'The Devil's In The Details,' its synths waving around with a certain longing rage to them. It's not a traditional pop track, and it comes off in beautiful colors. Similar darkness is channeled in the following track 'Forget Me Not' with its dark synthpop flavors. 'Let Me Love You' introduces a more anthemic pop song above love, veering away from the darker sound in a tasteful manner.

From there on out, it's pretty hit or miss until the end of the record. Lot's of tracks in the middle of the record just sound uninspired and have very low energy about them. 'Up At Night' finds itself being very repetitive and sounds almost like it doesn't know which direction it wants to go in, while 'Starflower' has a very low energy 80s pop sound to it on top of the repetitive sound.

The end of the album briefly moves past this to add one last hurrah in the form of a more sobering conclusion to the record. 'January' has a very raw and emotive feel to it that begs  so someone to sing with it and truly connect. It's not a sad song per se, it just really feels like one and it sounds beautiful. Closing track 'If We Be Still' is a bluesy instrumental ending that adds a final image of the album if anything. It's nothing special but it's still effective.

Jennifer Paige's new album Starflower starts off strong but does falter after awhile. With a dark beginning and a sobering ending, it provides a nice crust that has a rather sloppy core. Not everything can be perfect, though, and there are definitely some strong tracks on this album. 'Crush' may be her legacy, but it's evident she's moved on far past it.

Favorite Tracks: The Devil's In The Details, January, Let Me Love You

Least Favorite Tracks: Starflower, Up At Night, To The Madness

Rating: 71 / 100

Buy or listen to Starflower here: