The fifth-season American Idol finalist has a Nashville record deal, and his talents have traction. Bucky Covington's gravel-rough, expressive voice is sufficiently flexible to handle a wide spectrum of material. His flair for a light touch comes through on the Mark Nesler/Marty Dodson tune "I'm Good" and the pleasant "A Different World." Regrettably, he often has a tough row to hoe, since in the case of material and arrangements, producer Mark Miller (of Sawyer Brown fame) has simply thrown him onto Music Row's insidious studio assembly line. Covington gamely pours his heart into a sheaf of predictable songs, from the sentimental bathos of "I'll Walk" to "The Bible and the Belt" and "Back When We Were Gods," the types of generic heartland tunes sung so often by so many in the past decade that they no longer feel fresh or compelling. Musically, Miller wraps Covington in a sterile, studio version of Travis Tritt-style southern rock that robs him of any sort of distinctive style. American Idol is a difficult road, even for the Carrie Underwoods who ultimately come out on top. One who got as close as Covington did, with his potential, deserves better. --Rich Kienzle
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