After being burned in a relationship, a forgiving woman refuses to seek revenge (“The High Road”). A desire to make romance work is central to “This Time,” and “Let It Rain.” “Exceptional” affirms the value of someone with poor self-esteem. The singer requests an end to hate and war in her “Note to God,” while “Too Little Too Late” rejects a smarmy guy’s game-playing advances of “Come with me/Stay the night.” However …
One gets the feeling she’d give in if she knew he was being sincere, especially in light of this 16-year-old’s thinly veiled winks at physical intimacy on “The Way You Do Me,” “Anything,” “I Can Take You There,” “Good Ol'” and “Like That.” Those songs never explicitly mention sex, but double meanings and metaphors telegraph hormonal enthusiasm. A CD photo walks a similar line.
The multitalented Joanna Levesque co-starred in the PG movies RV and Aquamarine last year, solidifying her tween appeal. Could she be the next Lindsay Lohan? Very likely. As for The High Road, half travels a solid lyrical path that winds through smooth R&B grooves. The rest is overrun with cagey sexual overtones.
