The sophomore slump is tough for any artist, but it's got to be daunting when your worldwide smash debut four years ago (1998's Left of the Middle) dominated the charts based on someone else's song (Ednaswap's "Torn"). For her second album, pop singer Natalie Imbruglia allies herself with big-name producers/collaborators but takes a slower, moodier direction. While the singer/songwriter has maintained the key elements of her first album--a mixture of pop rock, acoustic and electronic embellishments, and gritty guitars--there's a greater sense of emotional turbulence here. The best moments on this effort are the edgier ones: the anxious opener, "That Day," with its nervous guitar and tumbling lyrics; the yearning space-pop of "Sunlight"; and the sparkling electro-acoustic rock of "Wrong Impression." Not all the tracks are keepers, but there is an appealing honesty and understated quality to White Lilies Island that makes it sound refreshing. After all, sadness can be catchy too. Bryan Reesman
White Lilies Island comes four years after "Torn" and her debut Left of the Middle propelled her into international stardom. It took a long time to get right, and it was worth the trouble. Produced by a variety of names including Ian Stanley and Pascal Gabriel, it also includes song collaborations with Pat Leonard (co-author of key Madonna hits). White Lilies Island has a driving, dramatic edge--particularly on the opener "That Day", and "Hurricane", a sweeping song about inexplicable passion. Natalie moves with ease between guitar-led rock and groove-orientated pop but it's obvious her heart lies with the former, particularly in the rich, freewheeling energy of tracks like "Goodbye" and "Do You Love?". Lucy O'Brien
Some artists are lucky to enjoy one career-defining hit that transcends all boundaries, besieges the radio for months and becomes engraved on everyone's consciousness whether they like it or not. 'Torn' was one such freak smash but even the main beneficiary herself is realistic enough to quell talk of repeating the act.
In the sleeve notes, Imbruglia writes "It took me a while but I got there in the end" and if rumours are to believed and lyrics deciphered, it's been an eventful four years for the former Aussie soap star. Safely out the other side, she's delivered a laboriously conceived second album, 'White Lilies Island' (named after her Windsor home). It's an album which can't possibly replicate the success of it's predecessor but is, in fact, a surprisingly superior effort than the patchy 'Left Of The Middle' debut.
'White Lilies Island' sees Imbruglia free herself from the Alanis Morissette-clone image that you sense was very much forced last time around and actually manage to carve out an identity, both in her vocals and as a personality. She's no longer the dough-eyed beauty who graduated from passive lunchtime viewing to primetime evening leering. On 'White Lilies Island', Imbruglia has found her feet and matured almost beyond recognition.
While labelling her a 'serious artist' is probably a trifle ambitious, she's certainly on the way to achieving her goal. She chips in a hefty wedge of the lyric sheet to the album in the shape of confessional lovesick outpourings that, despite lapses, bind the gutsy album cohesively giving it sophistication, direction and genuine feeling.
The guitar-based power-ballad formula has been enhanced ('Do You Love?', 'Butterflies') and the first single 'That Day', 'Satellite' and 'Wrong Impression' are among the breeziest pop songs you're likely to hear all year. Aside from the largely expected, there's much more to saviour here: from the Garbage-esque 'Sunlight' to the chilled 'Talk In Tongues' and the rousing 'Come September' all of which fight it out for the best vocal performance. Heavily influenced by The Sundays with an alarming nod towards Corrs territory the music is risk-free but far from bland, adhering to old-fashioned rules of melody and tempo.
Pulling the strings suits Imbruglia and by grasping this responsibility with both hands she may just have salvaged her career. All hail the Dido from Down Under.
Natalie Imbruglia, the former Aussie soap opera actress–turned–pop star, is fiercely determined to prove she's no one-VH1-smash wonder. For her second album, White Lilies Island (due March 5), she's gone so far as to have a hand in writing her own songs (''Torn,'' after all, was a cover). Ordinarily, this strategy is a formula for disaster, but Imbruglia knows something about formula. The disc continues in the same vein of agreeable pop-radio fodder as ''Torn,'' with an all-new group of distraught romantics and connection seekers singing creamy choruses. ''Wrong Impression,'' the first single, is the best and hookiest of them, followed by the swirling tumble of ''That Day'' and a power ballad here or there, like ''Do You Love.'' Despite Imbruglia's big, pouty voice, it's all perfectly pleasant and quickly forgotten; she's Karen Carpenter with cargo pants, but without the heartbreaking underlying pain. In her way, Imbruglia carries on the do-it-herself values of the Lilith Fair era. But it makes you wonder if merely fair Lilith pop is the legacy Sarah McLachlan had in mind all those years ago.
After living in the shadow of her 1998 smash, "Torn," Aussie Natalie Imbruglia proves she's no one-hit wonder with the success of her current single, "Wrong Impression." Fans who pick up her sophomore set will be happy to learn that "Wrong Impression," with its easy pop hooks, isn't even the album's strongest track. Opener "That Day"—the lead single outside North America—is edgier, with a harder guitar sound. The darker "Do You Love?" has a sing-along refrain that's nothing short of infectious. And the potent "Goodbye" builds effortlessly from a melancholy ballad into a rollicking rock track. On poetic numbers like "Hurricane" and "Butterflies," Imbruglia shines—both as a singer with a breathy but sweet voice and as a songwriter who packs the right blend of individual creativity and universal emotion into each song.—WH
It's easy to hate Natalie Imbruglia. Four years ago, the ex-TV star ruled international charts with "Torn," a song she didn't even write; she has doe-eyed, antipodean looks most would kill for; and, dude, don't even get us started on those pouty lips. But after some quiet time to wash away our jealousy, the Aussie pops up with a surprisingly agreeable, if lightweight, disc. Working with some major song masters (including Madonna hit collaborator Pat Leonard), Imbruglia cowrites each tune and goes the way of Dido with a breezy blend of guitar-led rock and groove-orientated pop. She even gets Garbage-y with "Sunlight" and chills with "Talk in Tongues." But most importantly, Imbruglia manages to keep this Island trip way less painful than we expected.
Natalie Imbruglia has identity issues. A former star of the Australian soap opera Neighbours and an overnight success in America with her 1998 radio hit "Torn," the singer-songwriter has returned with a second album that is thoroughly catchy, utterly hummable and impossible to fault except for its lack of any stamp of authorship. Who is this Natalie Imbruglia, really? On the winsome "Wrong Impression," she and her band pull off an uncanny impersonation of the light teatime Anglo-pop of the Sundays, but it may be that Imbruglia just happens to sound a lot like that band's singer, Harriet Wheeler. The rainy-day arrangement and orchestration of "Goodbye" is dreamy and vaguely sad, like the downbeat musings of an otherwise pretty comfortable angel, although the songwriter may have intended the tune as an exhibit of soul-baring, raw introspection. Imbruglia's delicate, sweet and well-behaved singing isn't the ideal vehicle for expressing angst, even if most of these minor-chord, gray-skies anthems seem to be yearning to do just that. The result is a tune such as "Talk in Tongues," a half-unplugged, vaguely Beatlesque acoustic jam that merely seems bummed. Judging from all the mopey lyrics and bittersweet melodies, the singer meant for the album to be an Affecting Experience. But despite its immaculate odes to unhappiness, White Lilies Island itself is ear candy with about as much emotional resonance as Kathie Lee Gifford's latest televised crying jag.
White Lillies Island comes four years after
Imbruglia's worldwide smash single Torn propelled her to international stardom.
Having taken years off following her departure from Aussie soap Neighbours, she
bided her time before entering the music world and it worked. Sticking to the
same winning formula with her second album, and after the recording of some 45
tracks, it has been worth the trouble once more. Imbruglia herself takes the
credit for selecting the final 12 tracks and – without hearing the rejected
songs – it seems as though she has made a rather good choice.
White Lilies Island has a driving, cutting edge and the singer is able to move
effortlessly between guitar-led rock and dancefloor-orientated pop – although
it is apparent that her leaning is more towards the rock. Indeed, the CD opens
with a great piece of guitar and strings, That Day, which has already topped the
charts around the world. And it sends out a message that she is not living on
the laurels of Torn and the style that first brought her to the public eye.
Frailty and raw emotion are a theme throughout tracks such as Wrong Impression
and Everything Goes while an uncomplicated style makes the album infinitely
listenable – and yet also surprising enough to keep your ears perked up. Let's
just hope that the next album isn't quite so long off.
Handily dispensing with any thoughts of a sophomore jinx, Natalie Imbruglia follows up her chart-topping debut, Left of the Middle -- which included the hit "Torn" -- with White Lilies Island, a dozen pop gems bathed in a sheen of loops and infectious hooks. Like her American peers Alanis Morissette and Fiona Apple, the 20-something Aussie finds her inspiration in the age-old intricacies of love and loss. When she's not sifting through the fallout of a disintegrated relationship (the ethereal beauty of "Goodbye") or lying in her bed marveling over a newfound one (the playful, "Big Yellow Taxi"-flavored "Satellite"), the former soap star loses herself in a labyrinth of sensuality (the electronica-flavored "Beauty on the Fire"). Imbruglia also manages to mix in a number of darker, acoustic guitar-driven moments, including the confessional "Talk in Tongues" ("Do you know where I've been/walls are caving in") and the equally captivating "Butterflies" ("Sickened by the wanting/and drowning from the need"). With its mix of more sophisticated songwriting, sweet singing, and alterna-rock flourishes, White Lilies Island proves that Natalie Imbruglia is one flower from Down Under that won't be wilting any time soon. Dave Gil de Rubio
Surely there must be a way of debunking the old adage that says, "If it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it." While this may hold true for, say, a car or a professional baseball team, it should hardly carry any weight in the world of music. Maintaining the status quo is merely a safe cop out in this writer’s books. But perhaps when you’re mega pop star Natalie Imbruglia, the high stakes and the pressure of duplicating the sales of your last album blindly lead you to record an album as bland as oatmeal and disappointingly non-progressive. Which isn’t to say that While Lilies Island is horrible. It isn’t. Imbruglia’s voice is still undeniably sweet on the ears, combining the assuredness of Madonna with the cute kookiness of Cyndi Lauper. But the former Aussie soap opera star isn’t raising the bar here. Rather, she follows up 1998’s Left Of The Middle with an album whose songs mostly end up blending in with each other from a lack of having anything distinct or inspiring about them. There are few dalliances away from her standard pop formula, although the calypso fun of "Satellite" (which finds Imbruglia "shoo bee doo bee da pa"-ing her way throughout the song); the upbeat sugar pop of "Wrong Impression" and the atmospheric sway of "Everything Goes" all make it easy to get caught up in the moment and find yourself truly enjoying the record. And I swear "Do You Love" is an unlikely combination of Madonna’s "Oh Father" and Alanis’ "Ironic." Hand one thing to Imbruglia — she knows her pop music. Still, it would be nice to see her try something a little more fresh. Hey, at least it’s not as annoying as a Nelly Furtado record, though. Brian Pascual
It's hard to ever top a debut single like "Torn".
It was a moment of perfect pop that saw Natalie Imbruglia break the precedent
set by other former Aussie soapstars branching out into music, by actually being
good. Having steered clear of bubblegum pop and the obvious path her roots would
suggest, Natalie has always stood out as a lady who doesn't want to be like the
rest. Four years on from the guitar-fuelled ambitious pop of the Left of The
Middle album, Imbruglia's return to the spotlight is an altogether more
mature and confident collection of songs. "That Day", first single and
the album's opener, is a strange choice to return with. Co-written with sometime
Madonna-scribe Pat Leonard, it is breezy and Alanis Morrisette-like in
tendencies, but lacking any great sing along chorus or catchy hook.
Unlike her last, this is not an album crammed to the brim with hit singles.
There are moments of pleasant, carefree charm in "Satellite" and
"Wrong Impression" (the best track on the album) but the majority
shows Natalie's darker, serious side and is hardly going to set the charts
ablaze. Obvious comparison for the sound are, on the face of it, respectable;
"Sunlight" is decidedly Garbage-esque, the rocky power ballads
"Do You Love?" and "Butterflies" take her almost to U2
territory of sullen, swooning vocals building into climatic choruses. However,
despite a strong, distinctive voice and all the best intentions of carving a 'mature'
and 'serious' image, the results are disappointing. There are no horror moments
(although the slightly cringy anthemic ballad "Goodbye" cuts quite
close to the bone) and it is obvious that a lot of thought and care has gone
into White Lilies Island but it fails overall to light many fires.
Natalie Imbruglia could have rushed an album out a year ago to cash in on the success of her debut "Left of the Middle" but she didn't. Ignoring the temptation to cash in has probably increased her chances of longevity as a music artist. Had the media been flooded with Natalie over the last few years, by now she would be just another pop star.In fact on "White Lilies Island" our Nat is almost going out of her way to NOT be a pop star. The first single (and reintroduction to the music world) "That Day" is hardly hooky pop hit material. What it has done though is reintroduce her on a much deeper musical level."Beauty On The Fire" is much more in line with the sort of sound people were expecting from Natalie, so after hearing the album, fans will not be disappointed. This is the more uptempo end of the Natalie catalogue with some powerful production from Pascal Gabriel and Gary Clark and some moving guitar work."Satellite" is an interesting inclusion because of its link with the past. The pop ditty was written by Phil Thornalley (who wrote Torn) and represents Natalie's syrupy side. It actually would have made a great Meril Bainbridge tune."Do You Love" is quite Madonnaish. You know that Madonna ballad where the voice soars and pierces, Natalie has captured the feel with this one. The format of the album seem to vary from pop song / to contemporary song from number to number. Next we have another potential hit. "Wrong Impression" has the hook, it is an obvious choice as a single."Goodbye" reverts to depth once more. What's great about "White Lilies Island" is that it has enough pop to secure longterm placement on commercial radio, but it also has enough growth material to nurture the maturity of Natalie's work moving forward. "Everything Goes" continues the adult pattern, with some nice guitar work growing as the song progresses. It's obvious the depth of the album has been kept to the latter half. "Hurricane" is another ballad with some beautiful vocal work and an adult contemporary base adding to diversity and moving Natalie away from her original pop roots. If anything, this album may be acting as a transition to indicate what is coming next."Sunlight" is a more straight ahead rock song, more intriguing guitar work and a great crossover track that would fit on various radio formats."Talk In Tongues" owes a lot to recent developments in UK music. Bands like Coldplay and Starsailor work this arena these days influenced mainly by Radiohead's success over the last decade. Nat's listening too. That being said "Butterflies" continues that British acoustic trend but is fueled by some powerful lyrics.Finally, "Come September" brings us to a close and again, a rock solid performance from an album that has absolutely no fat at all."White Lilies Island" has grown from "Left Of The Centre" without alienating the old fans but recognizing the fact they are all three years older. It's nice to see an artist grow with their audience occasionally. by Hector The Rock Dog
It's hard to believe it's already been four years since the charming yet ultimately forgettable Natalie Imbruglia exploded and vanished with, well, a charming and ultimately forgettable one hit-wonder called "Torn," but don't count this former Australian soap star out just yet. After all, White Lilies Island may just be the surprise pop-rock record of the year, an ear candy feat of which few suspected she was capable. Imbruglia had her work cut out for her: the scrappy Left of Middle had the obvious money track and a lot of filler that was more Left of Mediocrity than middle -- it's no wonder she was given 15 minute status. But on Island she figures it out: if you're going to do decidedly middle-of-the-road pop music, you might as well approach it with U2's bloated sense of self-grandeur and really make it indulgent. Catchy, wispy, superfluous -- Island's Cranberries-meets-Travis drive is like all the inane pleasures of current rock radio boxed into a dozen easily swallowed sound capsules. Think of it as the Diet Coke version of PJ Harvey's Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea. It's full of jangly anthems ("Do You Love," "Beauty in the Fire"), brisk acoustic jams ("Satellite," "Butterflies"), and cleverly disguised power ballads ("Goodbye"), all impeccably done. Everything about Island is absolutely pleasant: Imbruglia's smooth coo, the ease with which she tackles the breezy melodies of "Wrong Impression" and "Hurricane," the lilting electronic and rock backdrops that drape her. Those willing to let go of their preconceived expectations might find it brilliant, in its own particular way. Brad Cawn - CDNOW Contributing WriterBack in 1997, when Kylie was more Queen of the Bargain Bin than National Princess of Pop, the idea of a former Neighbours starlet embarking on a credible music career was laughable. However, from the opening chords of the soon to be ubiquitious 'Torn', it was obvious that Natalie Imbruglia wasn't going down the Stock-Aitken-Waterman route of many of her peers. The subsequent album 'Left Of The Middle' confirmed her promise, being full of slightly Fiona Apple-ish, beautifully crafted songs with a slightly dark edge. The fact that she was drop dead gorgeous also helped her to win the hearts of indie boys nationwide. That was four long years ago though, and since then, Kylie has donned her hotpants and reclaimed her position as Britain's favourite Australian, while Imbruglia seemed destined to remain in the tabloid gossip columns, getting linked to an ever more dubious string of men. There's a lot riding on 'White Lilies Island' therefore - now that the surprise factor is out of the way, the question is will enough people fall for this record like they did with Imbruglia's debut? The opening signs are promising - the first single 'That Day' is a bit of a triumph. Totally different to anything from 'Left of The Middle', waves of guitar crash around a jumble of rather rushed, but very effective vocals. It sounds like a non-whiney Alanis Morrissette after swallowing the entire REM back catalogue - and amazingly it still works. Sadly though, not much on the album comes close to matching the dizzy heights of 'That Day'. There's a fair few ballads on this album, and while some of them - the beautiful "Talk In Tongues" in particular - are excellent, too many stick to the tried and tested formula of 'quiet at the start, building up to a crashing climax'. In fact at first listen, it's hard to tell 'Do You Love', 'Goodbye' and 'Sunlight' apart. 'White Lilies Island' is at it's most successful when Imbruglia tries something a bit different - 'That Day' being a case in point. The stripped down acoustics of the rather sweet 'Satellite' give the song a nicely raw feel, and 'Wrong Impression' could almost be The Sundays.There's nothing inherently wrong with 'White Lilies Island' - it's just a teeny bit dull. The fact that this album took four years and employed songwriters from Pat Leonard (Madonna) to Gary Clark (Danny Wilson) to make would suggest that some real musical risks were being taken, but there's a definite air of anti-climax hanging over the whole affair. Fans of guitar led, angsty pop won't be disappointed, and Imbruglia's voice is excellent throughout, but it's not going to change anybody's world. - John Murphy
1. That Day – The Opening track of the album
and Natalie’s first release from the same album, and what a beautiful way to
start it all off . To listen to this track its as if Natalie wasn’t ever gone,
it opens up with a traditional (well traditional for Nat anyway) Guitar solo
before breaking into a quickly sang verse. The thing is the speed of the track
hardly ever falters – usually I’d criticize that but this time I can’t and
its not just because Nat’s gorgeous, which she is – its just that it works
well.
The Lyrics themselves are pure Imbruglia – it’s the type of song you can
listen to without paying attention to the lyrics or if you really want to you
can start to listen out for the profound message that seems to be hidden inside.
Its almost as if Nats singing a song specially just for you – this time you
can read into it what you want but I personally believe that she’s telling a
tale of going through a break-up before getting over it and moving on – as
with every song I could be wrong – but that’s what it means to me.
Selected Line: That day, That day, what a marvellous mess, This is all that I
can do, I’m done to be me.
2. Beauty on the fire – Opening up with a synthesized sound which soon fades
out to a slow and quiet beat which gives the perfect opportunity for Nat to use
her beautiful voice to its full extent. As we roll on you get to hear Nat power
her way into what can only be described as a strong chorus and the whole song
leaves you with a distinct impression of the types of track you’d get on
‘Left of the Middle’.
As always with a Natalie Imbruglia album there’s a strong story to be told in
the song, one of a relationship beginning and the feelings that come with it for
both parties involved. Its here I feel I should note that the album itself seems
to be just a tad more upbeat then ‘Left of the Middle’ ever was.
Selected Line: Tonight, could I be lost forever, to drown my soul in sensory
pleasure.
3. Satellite – The track of the album in my eyes, its slow yet fast and has a
very upbeat rhythm to it all, and its also the first track from the album that
doesn’t use the ‘Rock Guitar’. Nat actually uses this to show the
different styles of singing that she can accomplish with no worries at all. The
actual attraction I find with it is how easy it is on the ears and the fact that
it sounds like a nice mix of Nelly Furtado and Jewel Kilcher’s music.
You didn’t think I’d leave the Story behind the song out did you? of course
not! – It all sounds like a love-tale again I’m afraid, one of Nat seemingly
having feelings for someone but leaving them waiting before she acts on those
feelings, all in all it’s a top quality song that I hope will one day be
released as a single.
Selected Line: Do you lie awake in the morning, trying to find a reason to call
me
4. Do You Love? – this is classic Imbruglia, Nat starts the track off slowly
but there’s always a feeling that at any minute a soft-rock beat is going to
kick in and you’re not wrong either. From the slow Verses it seems that it’d
be impossible to break into the rock side seamlessly yet Nat does it with no
flaws at all. I believe that it’s the type of track that you have to be a fan
of Imbruglia to enjoy.
If there’s a storyline I’m sort to say I’m hard pushed to find it – on
first hearing the track I believed that it was a story of a broken childhood,
but on second and third listenings (and I’ll be honest fifth, sixth, etc) it
seems that the child in the song is a metaphor for something else – I just
don’t know what!
Selected Line: Child you spoke, and the world fell silent again.
5. Wrong Impression – the current single and one that I felt was a strong
contender for the best song on the album. You know when you just sit back
nodding your head at a song and don’t know why – that’s ‘Wrong
Impression’ for you. It opens with a slight violin entry before going on to a
very upbeat sound. As you move along the actual beat of the song seems to speed
up from a quick beat to a bloody fast one, however as with a lot of Nats songs
– it works. As for the actual music there’s at least 2 guitars being played
in the background that ensure the song keeps going at a good beat.
As for a storyline to the song – well you know when you just sit back and
click to a song?, - well that’s what’s currently happening to me with this
song (I’m not going to go into what situation I associate this song to but
there’s one member who knows and she knows who she is!). It seems to tell the
song of a girl who wants to be in a relationship with someone – but he’s not
too sure, its profoundly told and yet the storyline involved doesn’t get in
the way of what is a good track.
Selected Line: Have you ever wondered if this was more than a crazy idea.
6. Goodbye – It’s another slow starter and Nat almost sounds morbid when she
opens up her singing. You’d think this is a bad thing wouldn’t you? but no
– Nat actually sounds very much like the highly successful female singer Dido,
it’s a slow track with a quiet yet heavy beat in the background before
breaking into a very soft-rock type sound at the end introducing a guitar solo
that you believe ends the song – it doesn’t as the slow beat soon kicks back
in again.
The storyline involved?, well its obvious with a track title like this one
isn’t it? – the character from the song is trying to say goodbye and
that’s all there is really to say.
Selected Line: Just try to write it down, or put it in a letter, But the words
won’t play and there’s no easy way to say goodbye, goodbye.
7. Everything Goes – Although it has a slightly quicker beat than
‘Goodbye’ – ‘Everything Goes’ is still a slower song than the rest of
the album. As the track rolls on you do get a rock beat in again (as you do with
a lot of songs on the album) and it makes for a hard to review track, but with
occasional gentle interludes it still stands out as a great listen.
Eep – Again I can’t find a storyline in the song – sorry folks.
Selected Line: You make it look easy, I bet you laugh at yourself, Are you
laughing at me
8. Hurricane – Before hearing this track I thought it impossible to make
something sound both loud and quiet at the same time, but its possible and Nat
has made something extremely beautiful here. Her voice is so soft its
unbelievable yet it accompanies the soft music in the background so well that it
*does* sound as if it’s a louder track.
It’s a tale of envy as somebody in the song seems to be constantly flying into
the life Nat has in the track. But its also a moving track that seems so strange
in an album such as this one – I’m not saying its bad – just that its
different.
Selected Line: You’re all that I could be, and I’m falling on my knees
9. Sunlight - And we’re back to the quick – heavier sounding music that all
Imbruglia fans have come to love, it moves quickly and Nats voice is a god-send
to the track. As it carries on it becomes the sort of track that you can sit
tapping your feet to whilst say typing a review like this one. The beat for once
never really changes pace and that actually gives the track that hidden edge
Its another toughie to put a storyline to as there doesn’t seem to be any hint
of character in the track even though the whole song is seemingly talking to one
person.
Selected Line: Too many times we let the things we feel, get in the way of
letting us heal the wounds.
10. Talk in Tongues – Oh-oh spoke too soon as Nat slows it all down again.
There’s hardly any music in the background as Nat once again shows her
resemblance to Jewel Kilcher. Its an almost morose song that seems to slowly
chug along with the occasional burst of power in Nats voice and the music
accompanying her, put it all together and you do get a strange yet beautiful
experience.
Luckily there is a storyline this time, it seems as if Nat is trying to comfort
someone here as she sings of waking up realising tomorrow is today and paying
the bills and losing your will, it does seem a slightly sad song yet leaves you
aching to hear more.
Selected Line: I crawl as you walk pushing me away.
11. Butterflies – as the song starts you begin to wonder if we have another
slow one on our hands, the opening verse starts so slowly but gradually begins
to show promise as she resorts to the way she sang on ‘Left of the Middle’,
there is a slow ‘rock-steady’ beat that does seem to creep in and makes Nat
sound a lot like Sheryl Crow.
Storyline wise it seems as if Nats calling out to help someone – talking about
feeling unsteady and emotions being on the blink, it’s a sad tale but one that
suits Nat and this album well.
Selected Line: My heart will be the bridge that you walk over.
12. Come September: It’s a rule that a final song on an album should be
exceptional, and its rare that you find an album sticking to the rule – White
Lilies Island does it. Come September is upbeat yet it closes the album on a
quiet finish, there’s Nat singing over a soft beat and before long you can
tell that Nats planned this one as a finisher for a long time – especially as
she ends it on a slow-down and soothing her voice to a mellow tone.
A simple storyline for this one – it’s a tale of knowing that no matter what
you do everything will be OK if you give it time.
Selected Line: The souls that burn, will twist and turn.
* Overall *
It’s a good album, nay its very good – there’s shades of so many quality
female singers here its spooky – you hear Jewel, Nelly Furtado, Sheryl Crow
and so many others it’s a wonder how Miss Imbruglia isn’t a top-ranking
artist in the UK.
Even the Cover of the album protrudes a class act all the way – seemingly
covered with sketches and pictures of a child, all topped off with a piccie of
Nat herself on the cover – buy the album people you can’t go wrong if you
do!