2 August 2005 20:11 pm
Back in 1998, Natalie Imbruglia let fly with Let of the Middle. It was a great album spinning off Smoke and Torn as big hits and a generally solid collection of songs – Big Mistake, Impressed, City, all good stuff.
Now skip forward 7 days and ignore the fact I totally missed White Lilies Island (her 2002 release). She follows it up with Counting Down the Days. I expected something good. It maybe wasn't a blaze of publicity but it was going to be something good right?
Unfortunately not. Sometimes I listen to an album I don't like it and I come back to it later and realise it actually works. For this reason, despite me listening to it several times before I am giving it one more run through now.
It's not getting better though. Shiver remains the sole diversion in what is otherwise a disappointing album. I'm left wondering, where is the Natalie I knew? The disjointed melodies that drew me to Left of the Middle have been replaced by big bulky sounds that merge her into a dull mainstream.
There is no difference between the songs – sure they have slightly different styles but they are all basically fluffy acoustic tracks with a backing that takes all of the edge off them. The odd song offers a little bit of pace such as Santuary and Perfectly that brings me back to the Natalie I love but this is a twelve song album, that's not good enough.
The feel just sucks. I don't want to be attacking this album as much as I am, it's probably not the worst album ever but I just can't much good to say about it. Lasting appeal? I dunno, maybe if you listen to it enough you might like it.
To be fair, it does pick up a bit towards the end of the album and takes on a kind of Dawson's Creek vibe (tell me When Your Sleeping doesn't bring up image of Capeside for you ;). If you have money to burn there are a handful of good tracks on the album. But for those of us who aren't millionaires, give it a miss.
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