Irresistible
That Jessica Simpson has been groomed to become the next (as  well as younger, whiter, and more virginal) Mariah Carey should come as  no great shock. Production by slavish imitation is the way it goes  these days, and wanting to duplicate Carey's success is understandable.  Yet the downside of idol worship (Simpson grew up with the  octave-conquering diva as a touchstone) is the loss of unique identity, and  sadly that's exactly what has occurred. From the wordless sighs to the  mock Spanish guitars added for international appeal, to the  overwrought power ballads and faux hip-hop flavored up-tempo cuts,  Simpson, whocansing, is a prisoner of by-the-numbers  production and songs by the usual pop/R&B-lite; suspects. The end result  is sonically stellar, but is too close to a generic endeavor that does  little to establish Simpson as an artist. Still,Irresistiblewill no doubt firm up her already serious stats as a rising young star.--Amy Linden