All The Right Wrongs
Artist: Emily Osment 
Label: Wind-Up
 
What is this? A Hannah Montana cast member with music NOT on a Disney-affiliate? On the label that gave the world Creed? Yes and yes.
 
Emily Osment identifies as enough of a Christian to have given voice to a Max Lucado-organized youth New Testament on CD; on her debut EP, she eschews CCM to compete with sassiness and sentiments of her distaff teen popchart competition, including the lead player on the TV show in which she has a part.

That show's star, Miley Cyrus, has had about three years' lead on Osment to create a distinct musical persona, but Osment plays catch-up handily enough for her recording debut under her own name apart from a handful of tracks for Disney projects. Considering the company that signed her, it should come as no surprise that Osment is a more consistent rock chick the wider pop berth MiCy has taken.

And as teenage girls probably generally are, La Emily comes off best when she summons some feistiest. The six-song EP's lead single, "All The Way Up," finds her assertive, ambitious and...a nail biter? Yeah, it works despite the mention of orally administered manicure, and it's the hardest driving piece here.

The same take-no-guff spirit infuses "Found Out About You" which, though not The Gin Blossoms' song of the same name, covers similar emotional terrain. Em' finds out her guy's cheating and ain't taking it. When it comes to "I Hate The Homecoming Queen, however, Osment might have done well to either kvetch less or give the gal in the popular clique some comeuppance.

On the two numbers where she sings of romantic victim hood, however, she challenges Taylor Swift at morose diary entries-turned songs. "You Are The Only One" brings her back to firmer footing.

Osment may not have yet developed Cyrus' fine sense of phrasing, but she makes up considerably with heart. And give the gal credit for co-writing every track here, though one may rightly wonder  as to the necessity of someone not yet old enough to vote having to sing "damn" twice within a half-dozen tunes (maybe she's playing catch there, too, as Cyrus  has jumped ahead to "pissed" on her latest offering).

All The Right Wrongs delivers enough rights to make a full-length album from Osment worth the wait.

Jamie Lee Rake