King for a Day
is not a boast from
Mickey Dolenz
-- nor is it a collection of
XTC
covers -- it's an album-length salute to
Carole King
, one of the great
pop
songwriters of the 20th Century.
Dolenz
isn't necessarily such a skilled singer that he redefines or reinterpret these songs but these songs aren't designed for showboating: these are songs that belong to everyone, songs where anyone can sing along, so they lend themselves to
Mickey
's cheerful readings. He's so friendly it's possible to hear him smile as he sings even on songs that perhaps should have a bittersweet bent (
"Will You Love Me Tomorrow"
) or are just downright sweetly sad (
"Crying in the Rain"
), but this is unabashed, unapologetic nostalgia. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine