Jesse McCartney-Right Where You Want Me 2006 CD

Former Radio Disney dude, soap actor, and boy bander (Dream Street), Jesse McCartney looks like he just stepped out of an episode of The O.C. The nineteen year-old popster is a pretty boy with some serious vocal talent, an impressive career resume up to this point, and an extremely bright future.

McCartney's debut album, Beautiful Soul, arrived in late 2004. The platinum disc produced a Top 5 Billboard hit and thrust the singer/songwriter into the world spotlight. Right Where You Want Me, McCartney's sophomore release, is light years beyond Beautiful Soul. Where his first disc revealed a teen artist searching for a place in the pop universe, Right Where You Want Me exposes a confident young man who now has a firm footing.

Not only does McCartney come across as more mature vocally on Right Where You Want Me, the New York native shows off his developing songwriting chops. McCartney had a hand in eleven of the album's twelve tracks, co-writing with the likes of Marti Frederiksen (Aerosmith, Meat Loaf) and John Shanks (Sheryl Crow, Michelle Branch). From the crunchy blues rock of "Blow Your Mind," a track with sizzling Lenny Kravitz-esque guitar riffs, to the pop candy of "Just Go," a jittery number that recalls Stevie Wonder, every song on the album is a potential hit.

The emotional "Invincible" will hit home with folks whose lives have been affected by drunk driving. A delicate piano and acoustic guitar, shaded by a 15-piece orchestra, help McCartney deliver this haunting story. The song, written about the real life events that lead to the untimely death of a close friend three years ago, is sad but poignant. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) should consider adopting the track and taking it around to the schools.

"Daddy's Little Girl" is a hooky cut that grooves like INXS, grinds like early Guns N' Roses, and pops like Michael Jackson during his Dangerous days. A gyrating beat and over-driven electric guitars slice up the holes between McCartney's combustible vocals. "Daddy's little girl is now my baby," McCartney growls. "Right Where You Want Me" is a radio-friendly tune reminiscent of Eric Clapton's "Change The World." The song crawls into the listener's brain and sticks in there for hours after it fades.

Just shy of his 20th birthday, Jesse McCartney sounds like an artist who is comfortable in his own skin. Right Where You Want Me is smashingly good.

By Todd Sterling