Speak

Following in the footsteps of teen-actress-turned-singing-star Hilary Duff, Lindsay Lohan delivers SPEAK, an accomplished album of radio-ready pop. Balancing dance-floor grooves of the Britney Spears/Christina Aguilera variety with rock moves borrowed from the Avril Lavigne/Michelle Branch axis, Lohan sings with authority over razor-sharp club beats (the title track, "To Know Your Name") and amps-on-11 guitar riffs ("First") in equal measure. Along the way, she also tackles piano-driven power ballads ("Symptoms of You"), John Mayer-style jazzy, acoustic pop ("Something I Never Had"), and Gwen Stefani-esque electronica-informed rock ("Anything But Me"). Though Lohan had little to do with writing most of these songs, the lyrics are well suited to her unique situation of living in the public eye from a young age, and they often address the difficulties of maintaining close personal relationships. A surprisingly diverse and accomplished debut, SPEAK proves that Lohan has the mettle and talent necessary to compete with other young pop superstars.