Lindsay Lohan Hits Sophomore Slump on A Little More Personal (Raw)

When Lindsay Lohan decided to make the jump from actress to recording artist, few were quick to take her seriously. Taking into consideration that her official debut single, "Rumors", practically bit off a whole branch on the Britney tree, Lindsay was being presented as nothing but another pre-packaged Disney teen diva who's ability to carry a tune was mistaken for actual musical talent.

Thankfully, "Rumors" was just one rough patch on an otherwise extremely solid pop/rock debut album. And bearing in mind that she was able to make such a strong record in just 3 months, it stood to believe that if she was given even more time in the studio, she'd be able to produce an album that built upon the strength of her debut and prove that it wasn't just a fluke.

But the year that Lindsay's had since the release of album #1 has been tumultuous to say the least. She's experienced failed movies, failed relationships (both personal and domestic), and apparently failed brakes, resulting in several automobile accidents. But instead of traveling down an oft-tread path that ends at rehab, Lindsay decided to head for the studio and hold intense therapy sessions masked as intense recording sessions to help her work through all the pain, anguish and frustration she was harboring.

And the results of such sessions sounded good enough for Lindsay's label to warrant a release of them in the form of her sophomore album, aptly titled A Little More Personal (Raw). And while the subject matter for this go-round is definitely deeper in substance, the rawness kinda prevents it from going down as smoothly.

Not surprisingly, Lindsay takes the angst-ridden route that many of her pop/rock peers take when they're stuck in the post-adolescent phase of their career. What is surprising is that her angst is plausible and she has the conviction to support it. What's disappointing is that she doesn't always follow through in the most melodic manner. And the combination of all 3 factors makes for one uneven listen.

When the angst and conviction do balance out, Lindsay commands her music be taken seriously. Lead single, Confessions of a Broken Heart, is a stark look at the emotional abuse and neglect Lindsay experienced at the hands of her truant father. And while the record isn't the catchiest or most artful, the self-conscious honesty is abrasive enough to command your attention and intriguing enough to keep it. Such artistry spills over into the follow-up, Black Hole, which has a lilting piano riff underscore the dour atmosphere and instrumentation, nicely symbolizing the little girl inside of Lindsay who still clings to hope despite the obvious hopelessness of the situation smacking her in the face.

Those two records are perfect examples that suggest Lindsay actually has an artistic vision and she is taken her music seriously. But then the angst and contempt she harbors for her father, among others, is thrown into overdrive and turns records like the clunky I Live For The Day and boring My Innocence into straight overkill.

Even her cover of Cheap Trick's classic I Want You To Want Me, despite the upbeat, faux-new-wave-meets-punk-rock arrangement, sounds like another hopeless plea for her father's love and attention instead of her lover's. (And we will find resolve in naively acting as if her cover of Stevie Nicks' Edge of Seventeen never existed).

Another downside is that the record maintains a fairly downcast mood. Occasionally, Lindsay picks up the tempo and her point of view, like she does on the fun, 80s romp of the title track or over the staccato guitars on the punk-rocking Fastlane. But there are times when even her upbeat demeanor can't prevent her from drowning the subject matter in more of her sorrows (If You Were Me) or times where she's just plain boring (Who Loves You).

And even though the record ends on a somberly optimistic note, with Lindsay finding happiness within the wreckage of her Beautiful Life (La Bella Vita), one cannot simply ignore how rocky the road to such a resolution was. While it's nice that Lindsay was able to work out a lot of her personal issues via the recording of this album, she still has to learn that the key is to unseat her misery while making sure her fans are caught in the crossfire and left miserable themselves in the end.

Keep the personal. Drop the raw. Settle for the bittersweet. And maybe you won't be that disappointed.