Ashley Parker Angel was in the boyband O-Town, which was also put together by Lou Pearlman (who put together Backstreet Boys and NSync), through the TV show Making The Band.
I watched a bit of Making the Band once, and it wasn't a bad show at all, it was interesting to see Lou Pearlman, the boys had great voices too. O-Town broke up in 2003, but it's all okay now because Ashley has released a solo album! And more importantly, he worked with Max Martin and Lukasz Gottwald!
Ashley starred in a reality program about his life on MTV called There and Back. After O-Town he spent all his money and was broke, but then began his journey to get his life back on track and make a new album. The show is pretty good, though I only saw one episode where I saw him talk to Larry Rudolf who is helping him with his career. (Larry Rudolf, you would know, is/was(?!) Britney's manager and played a role in her success). Ashley also spends some time with producers. I wonder if Max Martin was in the show? I doubt it.
Well, I have already listened to "Let U Go" and "I'm Better" about a thousand times - I love "I'm Better" so much! a totally awesome song. Both the songs are 'rock', "I'm Better" I could imagine Yellowcard singing (that's a compliment), very catchy indeed. I heard ages ago that "I'm Better" was going to be the second single but sadly this didn't happen as far as I know. A missed opportunity.
The rest of the album is way better than I expected. Mostly upbeat rock/pop songs but also a few ballads (not too cheesy either). I listen to this album from time to time and really enjoy it. Other songs I like are "Feel So Alive", "Beautiful Lie" and "Where Did You Go?".
Written by A. Angel, G. Clark, K. Hawkes, E. Pressly, Soulshock, K. Karlin, A. Cantrall. Produced by Soulshock & Karlin and Alex Cantrall for Soulpower Productions
Per wikipedia Shelly Peiken co-wrote Christina Aguilera's "What a Girl Wants" and "Come on Over Baby (All I Want Is You)". She also co-wrote Meredith Brooks' "Bitch". Also Mandy Moore's "I Wanna Be With You"
Per wikipedia Soulshock & Karlin is a duo of Danish record producers and songwriters, Carsten Schack and Kenneth Karlin. I'd say their biggest hit is JoJo's "Leave (Get Out)".
The Matrix are Scott Spock, Lauren Christy, and Graham Edwards. I'd say their biggest hit is Avril Lavigne's "Complicated". They have also worked with Korn and Skye Sweetnam.
Xandy Barry has released an album himself, he usually writes with Wally Gagel and they co-wrote (with Shelly Peiken) Backstreet Boys song "Lose It All"
It's good!! A bit rock, fast, perhaps similar to Bo Bice.
This song went really well on MTV TRL in America.
"Let U Go" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No 17 and according to Billboard: 'Angel's debut at No. 17 marks the highest new entry on the Hot 100 since Bo Bice's "Inside Your Heaven" bowed at No. 2 the week of July 9, 2005'
