So relentlessly catchy is "Soundtrack to Your Life," the single off the relentlessly catchy debut by MTV reality scenester Ashley Parker Angel, that the average vulnerable listener may begin to worry--after weeks of being able to hum nothing else--that it has literally become the soundtrack to her life. This effect can be especially troubling for boy band-haters--Angel, after all, was a founding member of the short-lived 'N Sync-like outfit O-Town--but it shouldn't be. … mehrOn this solo debut, the flop-haired heartthrob comes across about as boy-band-derived as any recent entry on the modern rock charts. Which is to say, not at all. On opener "Let U Go," A.P.A. comes out rocking hard: elements of pop swirl around, but so do post-punk flourishes (a band like My Chemical Romance might have had a home in his iPod while he was recording). Later the disc takes a turn toward the mainstream, with "Crazy Beautiful," "Beautiful Lie," and "Feel So Alive" sounding as squarely pop--soaring guitars and all--as their titles suggest. But to discount Angel as a rocker because he has a way with a pop hook wouldn't be fair. Overall, this is Goo Goo Dolls-type rock, accessible but best played loud, with a surprisingly sharp edge. "Perfect Now" puts the point across best: In it, our melodic mastermind thoughtfully knocks an overachieving prom queen from her self-satisfied perch. The rub: he's not afraid to drop the "A" word in an early verse. --Tammy La Gorce weniger

CD 1
01 - Let U Go
02 - I'm Better
03 - Soundtrack To Your Life
04 - So Alive… mehr
05 - Crazy Beautiful
06 - Who Cares
07 - Shades Of Blue
08 - Beautiful Lie
09 - Perfect Now
10 - Where Did You Go
11 - Along The Way
12 - Apology weniger