Do we need more syrupy sweet, glorified Star Search/American Idol fodder? To you, the loyal Splendid reader, the answer seems obvious, right? Well, Alycia Ercums is certain that there isn't enough of that stuff, specifically the piano grrl aspect, and here presents us with (what sounds like) her demo. Yes, I sound harsh, and I guess you can't fault someone for trying, but there are a couple of reasons why I feel that this home-spun CD should exist solely in the record collections of the people to whom it is dedicated (i.e. mom, sick grandma, piano teacher). For one, we already have a Tori Amos, and she's damned good at what she does; she'd never sing "innocent eyes from across the room / the air sighs with a sweet perfume / he sings lullabies with a gentle glare / and I can't stop staring", unless she was wearing moonboots and followed it with "you dirty felcher". Second, we already have a Vanessa Carlton, and that's one too many of those -- I suppose that can be taken as a compliment. Third, life is relative and your struggles, the things you think are the worst things that could possibly happen to you, seem like nothing when compared to someone who has been through shit and back. So unless Ercums takes a few more voice lessons, adds some reverb to her vocals and overdubs a few harmonies to these songs, the lyrics about agonizing secret crushes, breaking up with boys and getting back together with those same boys aren't enough to warrant my recommendation that you buy this disc.