Amid the cultural wasteland that has become network television, one show has led out from the gate and remained king since its US invasion 7 seasons ago. Spawning countless other programs that follow the same 3 judge panel of critics who crush the dreams of pie-eyed hopefuls whom rarely possess any perceivable talent and even less dignity, American Idol is unquestionably a phenomenon.

Regardless of what one feels about the current state of popular music, none can deny the impact of Idol and the virtual no-names it has turned into stars. Past winners such the likes of Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood have proven to have staying power while others such as Clay Aiken and, most notably, Chris Daughtry have gone on to great success even though they ultimately lost on the show. In fact, winning the show has almost become secondary as those whom simply make the top 10 are afforded enough air time to build a large fan base. What they do with this new found notoriety is wholly dependent on whether or not they can connect with people after shifting from performing glorified karaoke to actually writing and producing original material.

This brings me to the debut album “Coming Back to You” from Melinda Doolittle whom fans will remember as the shy but affable front-runner for most of Season 6, ultimately finishing 3rd to Jordin Sparks. Few would argue Melinda was amongst the most talented pure singers to grace the Idol stage and perhaps her ultimate downfall was more attributable to her seeming lack of classic marketing appeal. Melinda does not fit the prototypical pop idol. She is less a Britney or a Christina and more reminiscent of original pop idols with names like Diana and Tina or even Gladys. And, thankfully, Ms. Doolittle stuck to her roots and in turn has graced us with a refreshingly delightful debut album.

Her music has been labeled as pop-soul. But I find it to be bigger than that classification as it forces the listener to embark on a journey through the last 40 years of what has been the black music experience. Soul, funk, gospel and even the blues are all present on this album modernized only by the production value. At first listen, you are greeted with catchy soul grooves on songs such as “Fundamental Things”, and the title track “Coming Back to You”, that are evocative of classic Quincy Jones jams. Other songs such as “The Best of Everything” and “Wonderful” bring you back to the glory days of Gladys Knight whereas “It’s Your Love” ( LISTEN or ) feels like it would be at home on a Supremes or Ronettes record. The CD continues with an instantly catchy soul ditty “Dust My Broom” and later a gospel powerhouse in “We Will Find a Way” that conjures the likes of none other than Aretha herself.  You will also find hints of Tina Turner in the anthemic “I Will Be” and shades of Natalie Cole in “I’ll Never Stop Loving You”. You will even find musical homages to Stevie Wonder on “Wonder Why” and even early Prince on “Declaration of Love”.

Whereas it should be noted that Ms. Doolittle did not pen any of her debut, she surely surrounded herself with a quality production team that has a firm grip on the history of music. At the end of the day I would not go so far as to say any of the songs on this debut will leave an indelible mark on the history of music. But as a whole, the album is catchy, full of heart, full of soul, but mostly full of hope.