Connect the Dots

Stacy Clark sounds as if she can't quite decide if she wants to be a confessional singer/songwriter or a polished, upbeat pop star, and on her album Connect the Dots, she's opted to shoot for a little of both. On tunes like "Hide" and the appropriately titled "Misery," Clark is clearly willing to wear her heart on her sleeve, keep the arrangements spare and dramatic, and share with us tales of love turned disappointing, but "Touch and Go," "Fireworks," and "White Lies" find her sounding strong, confident, and hooky even when she's a bit snarky, and while her level of slickness is a far cry from Katy Perry or Lady Gaga, there's just enough Auto-Tune and production sheen on these cuts that no one would be surprised to hear them on mainstream radio. (She's already racked up a stack of television and commercial placements for her music.) In both guises, Clark's craft is sound, her melodies are effective, and her voice can express a broad emotional spectrum, but while Connect the Dots is impeccably well-executed and producer Matt Appleton has given the music the sort of setting that suits it well, the material sounds more than a bit calculated. Clearly not every songwriter should be required to dredge up every bit of material from personal experience, but too much of Connect the Dots has a smooth but hollow feel, as if Clark and Appleton were striving for the right balance between happy and moody without having to dig too deep into the particulars of either emotion, and there's something about this music that sounds made to order without feeling especially inspired. Maybe ten years down the line, after she's had her heart broken a few times, Clark's emotions will sound as genuine and natural as her talent for melodies.