Natalie Imbruglia is beautiful, successful and certainly not short of a penny or two. She has managed the difficult transition from Australian soap regular to international movie roles and, as if that’s not enough, she is the face of L’Oreal.
All of which begs the following question: when Imbruglia’s second album, White Lilies Island essentially tanked, why would she bother to continue making records and not focus on the more profitable aspects of her career?
Her new album, Counting Down The Days gives us an unequivocal answer: she is passionate about her music and has musical ability in abundance.
From the breezy jangling guitar opening of the first track, ‘Starting Today’, this is sunshine-soaked, uplifting pop music at its most joyous. With the bouncy instrumentation and Natalie’s confident insistence, “Starting today / I’m not gonna worry about tomorrow”, the album instantly engenders a feeling of irrepressible optimism.
It segues effortlessly into the triumphant single, ‘Shiver’. With this song, you can cancel Derek Acorah, as Natalie finally lays to rest the ghost of ‘Torn’, the brilliant debut song that has haunted her subsequent musical career. Flawless production, a catchy chorus and a textbook song structure that builds and builds, ‘Shiver’ is how acoustic pop should be done.
The title track is the first of the ballads in which Natalie proves herself as proficient here as she is with the upbeat poppier tracks. What the slower pace of ‘Counting Down The Days’ reveals is the warmth and emotional timbre of Natalie’s vocals. It may not be the biggest voice in music, but she has a strong, well-pitched sound that conveys colour and tone – and can certainly knock that other diminutive antipodean soap star-turned-songstress into a cocked hat.
Maintaining the more sedate pace, ‘I Won’t Be Lost’ is an airy, wistful paean to the vulnerability of lovers. If there is one weakness to these songs it’s that the well-constructed melodies are more convincing than the lyrical content. Rarely do the sentiments stray far from the generic or banal: “Don't you give up on me / Cause I wouldn't be very strong”.
In contrast, one of the highlights, ‘Slow Down’, appears curiously old-fashioned. It feels like an undiscovered Olivia Newton John ballad, both fragile and beautifully affecting. There is a disarming intensity to Natalie’s vocals, which is somewhat reminiscent of Jewel in a contemplative mood.
What works slightly less effectively is the indie-angst styling of ‘Sanctuary’, an over busy, over insistent, but directionless track. It feels as if Natalie is trying to ape someone else’s musical identity but then decides against it. It is the only track-skipper on the album.
Fortunately, after that dalliance, ‘Perfectly’ aims full square at the Imbruglia hit formula. While you might end up singing snatches of ‘Torn’ and ‘Shiver’ in the instrumental breaks of the track - an indication it could justifiably be accused of being a tad derivative – if you looked up the phrase “catchy chorus” on dictionary.com, it could well reprise ‘Perfectly’ for you.
What really defines the achievement of Counting Down The Days is that every song could be pared down to simply voice and piano or guitar alone. These are stand-alone songs that don’t need the fog of a slick production to make them work.
The album relies on melodic compositions, into which great chord progressions and memorable hook lines have been crafted. The arrangements are simple, effective and focussed, giving a live feel throughout. Even with the additional woodwind in ‘On The Run’ or the strings of ‘When You’re Sleeping’, they merely give a different flavour to the backing, while it’s Natalie’s performance that provides the emotional, compelling core of the album.
For all her glamour, Natalie has a busker’s heart and she’s produced a polished album packed with unpretentious and direct acoustic pop songs.
Originally published 4th April 2005
An excellent album which still finds its way onto my iPod - here's Shiver:
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