Clarkson's older-better-tougher-smarter album.

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Certainly, part of the variety is down to the multitude of producers and writers on Stronger, but the album's success is entirely due to Kelly Clarkson, whose personality and professionalism turns it into her best album since her Breakaway breakthrough in 2004.

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With the exception of the obvious electronic manipulation used on "Mr. Know It All," Clarkson's performances on Stronger are more consistently lived-in and evocative than on any of her previous efforts.

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She's not Katy Perry, not yet Carrie Underwood. But look out.

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Essentially everything here involves Ms. Clarkson's clobbering her subject while getting clobbered with guitars.

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Review without score. The score is calculated by the review's remarks.

Clarkson remains a slightly wearying one-note artist--she's a wounded lover, bellowing her pain and scorching the earth. But wow--that voice.

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As on her past albums, not all the songs on Stronger are worthy of what Clarkson brings to them vocally.

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Review without score. The score is calculated by the review's remarks.

The album suffers from a heavily produced electro-sheen, and ends up feeling more manufactured than magical.

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So while Stronger has its redeeming moments, they mostly come when Clarkson does what she is renowned for doing and has already done better. It is a little too heavy on the balladry and serious tones, which are the same things that doomed her other two slightly lesser received albums.

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