Adam Lambert’s ‘Trespassing’: Review Revue

Robbie Daw | May 16, 2012 10:22 am

Three years after Adam Lambert‘s stint on American Idol — and two-and-a-half since the release of debut LP For Your Entertainment —his long-awaited (and slightly delayed) sophomore offering Trespassing is finally out. Some critics seem to agree that the first half of the album is a glitter-drenched pop-dance workout, while the latter half is a bit ballad-heavy. Read what the Internet at large had to say about Adam’s new record below, then let us know your own thoughts on Trespassing.

:: Rolling Stone conjured up some colorful imagery when reviewing Adam’s latest: “Trespassing delivers, with a mix of tinsel disco-club sleaze and leather-boy love ballads. While he excels in a radio cheddar bomb like ‘Naked Love’, he gets deeper in slow jams like ‘Underneath’ and ‘Outlaws of Love.’ But all over Trespassing, Glambert sings everything like Zeus in a thong.”

:: Says Newsday, “For much of Trespassing, Lambert draws inspiration from Michael Jackson and Queen’s Freddie Mercury that encourages him to sound bigger and bolder than ever. Subtlety be damned.”

:: Entertainment Weekly was lukewarm on the album: “Adam Lambert might be the only American Idol alum who considers purple eyeliner a daytime look. So it’s hard to understand why it took him so long to make his big gay dance-club album… Trespassing‘s first half is a study in fabulosity… Too bad the ballad-heavy second half is so laughably over-the-top.”

:: The Miami Herald agrees with the latter sentiment: “Pity the album’s second half becomes mired in overproduced, melodramatic ballads that threaten to sink even a fine melody like ‘Outlaws of Love’, Lambert’s plea for equality. Stick to the infectious first half, and you’ll be in aerobic dance heaven.”

:: The Washington Post is also on the fence: “On Trespassing, his second studio album, Lambert narrows the focus to profitable dance pop (though the hyper-emotional ballads still force their way in). The result is a more consistent but less-gratifying sophomore offering… If dance music or the club scene is your thing, then you’ll love most of this album. But if you like Adam Lambert the Renaissance Man as shown in his debut, you might be left wishing for a bit more variety.”

:: The Wrap is left with a couple questions: “…Trespassing is supposed to be the one where enough time was taken to show us the true Adam, as naked as his biblical namesake. He goes some way toward fulfilling that ambition, but questions remain. Like: Wasn’t the Lambert who established himself as a glam-rocker on Idol at least partly the true Adam? And if so, why is this sophomore album so devoid of anything resembling rock ‘n’ roll, throwing that former musical identity over for electronic dance music?”

:: USA Today did a review of each song. Here’s what the publication had to say about the album’s title track: “Adam’s album kicks off like a drill-team version of Queen’s ‘Another One Bites the Dust’. It also establishes a recurring outsider theme, as Adam swaggers undaunted past a ‘No Trespassing’ sign, singing ‘Life’s my life and liberty, and I’ll shine when I want to shine.’ Here, and throughout the album, Adam embraces his ‘other-than’ status. For an artist (and an audience) that prides itself on pushing boundaries, this song’s an audacious opening volley.”

:: The Hollywood Reporter summed the LP with this: “Glamberts should be pleased — there’s plenty of uptempo glittery pop along with more revealing ballads all of which showcase Lambert’s ridiculous range.”

Trespassing is available now from RCA. Purchase it at eMusic.