Upon the first glance, it could be easy to dismiss
Lila McCann's debut album,
Lila, as a byproduct of
LeAnn Rimes' astounding success -- after all, there couldn't be two talented teenage female vocalists arriving within a year of each other. However, upon further investigation,
McCann reveals herself as a promising singer in her own right -- arguably one with more potential than
Rimes.
McCann has a pure, pretty voice that can simply soar, as the hit single "Down Came a Blackbird" proves. At this stage, she hasn't reached artistic maturity, and she frequently has trouble delivering songs with subtlety, yet there's a passion to her singing that makes this point a minor one. Musically,
Lila may stray a little too close to adult contemporary for some tastes (a
Sheena Easton cover -- "Almost Over You" -- wasn't a great choice), but there's enough spirit and conviction in
McCann's performances to make her rank as a contender. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine