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Weekly Reviews For February 12, 2006

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Jo O'Meara - Relentless

After taking a couple of years out 'the one out of S Club 7 who can sing' has returned with a surprisingly grown up album of (largely) mainstream ballads.Which is both the pleasure and the curse of this album. Jo has good a good voice and has roped in some mighty fine songwriters alongside her self penned material. If you've got writers who've written for Cher, Enrique Iglesias, Will Young and Natalie Imbruglia then there's going to be some stardust sprinkled here and there. But when you're 6 tracks in and you've had 5 overwrought ballads of loss, it's a bit tiring. Only "Wish I Was Over You" really stands out early on.

So, when you reach the livelier "Let's Love" it becomes a blessed relief. Don't get me wrong there's some good songs early on, but they all start to blur into one another. The fragile "Baby I'm A Fool" is also rather special but then we're back into the identikit ballads with only the Motown-ish "It Felt Like Love" bubbling up into life.

There are seven or eight class songs on this CD, but they're rather overwhelmed by the poor sequencing and the overabundance of ballads. Jo does have talent but it's not best served by some of the material.

Mandy Kane - (UK) Hanky Panky


Not only is Mandy Kane a bloke with a few Austrlaina hits under his belt, but the song is a dark electro dance anthem about hedonism and sexual promiscuity (ah...the eighties) and their consequences (boo, his etc). It's incredibly addictive with a Marilyn Manson / Nine Inch Nails edge to it, but also plays nicely on the fears and worries of our confused youth.

I can't think of a goth club anywhere in the world that wouldn;t pack the floor to the gunwhales if this was given a spin. Dark, dirty and nasty - just the way we like it!

You can buy the download at http://www.karmadownload.com/artist/?20171 and if you get the chance anywhere, grab the "STD mix" - yes, really!

Kat La Key - How Ya Like It...

I suppose it's the similar wide open spaces that draw Australians to country music and now that they've broken through on the US scene, every singer / songwriter with a hat and a guitar will be looking enviously at the success of Keith Urban (and yes I know he's from New Zealand) thinking that how could be me.

And Kathleen Patricia Lakey from Sydney Australia has made a reasonable start at grabbing some attention with this excellent EP. The lead song is more pop than country and obviously aimed at the crossover market, but it was track 2, "How Long Has This Been Going On?" that grabbed my attention. Anyone who loved KT Tunstalls breakout hit "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" will find a lot to like here. Final track "Stirred But Not Shaken" is the most 'country' track with a stirring Statler Bros like backing vocal and a chirpy upbeat melody that will have honky tonkers nodding in approval.

In fact, "Stirred But Not Shaken" won the 'Hot Pick Award' in the 2005 Pacific Songwriting Competition so it's not just me! She's already released two albums, so do yourself a favour and head off to her website immediately!

Eliott James - Cinematic Life


I couldn't work out what was so different about this CD until I read the inside cover quote that says, This CD is not as loud as many other CDs. Why? The life wasn't squeezed out of it'. Interesting and appropriate.

Having spent quite some time getting blasted back and forward by sounds being forced into my ears it took some time to actually listen to a CD. With the evil emteevee empire that we live in foisting things at us, we're out of practice at actually doing things. After all, if everything is presented on a plate, why go and seek something out? Well, the answer would appear to be ambient electronica jazz.

And "Cinematic Life" is very, very good. Although you have to be patient and take the time to listen. "Second Chance", "Midnight Desert Run" and "Deep Forest Rain" won't necessarily get you first time, but its worth the wait.
If you want the easy example, imagine Tangerine Dream crossed with Deep Forest and you won't be too far off the mark.

Various - St. Tropez: Beach Series

Well I raved about Petrol records Istanbul collection not that long ago, and although this isn't as good as that (and few things are), this is another peach.
It's a mixture of pop tinged jazz, which the French seem so fond of, some of it dipping back to the early seventies, and a few bits and bobs of electronica which wouldn't be out of place on a Back To Mine sampler.

I know the loungecore scene is supposed to be dead, but I'm sure there are a few leather settee owners out there who would swoon at this compilation, from its sixties influenced cover right down to the swinging chick on the Bachelor Party track telling them how bad they are.
If you're looking to simulate a beach party on the SOuth of France circa 1971, then this is most definitely the album for you. Even a cold Scottish winters day was enlivened by the delights of "Kiss Moi" by Benjamin Sportes, "Ok Skorpios" by Bertrand Burgalat and best of all, the aforementioned Bachelor Party and "Ye Ye".