Counting Down the Days

by

Natalie Imbruglia

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Natalie proves that her previous successes have definitely not been flukes with this richly textured album. Her voice has never been stronger and her songwriting skills continue to mature and develop. I find it infuriating that this CD has not found the distribution that it deserves in the States as many of the singles (namely "Perfectly") have the potential of being huge pop successes with the proper promotion. It's a shame that a second hit has eluded her as her catalog of songs is teaming with accessability (much like "Beauty on the Fire" from White Lillies Island).

If you are able to locate a copy of this very accomplished album, you should do yourself a favor and pick it up.

Apparently married life suits Natalie Imbruglia.

After getting married in 2003 to the Silverchair frontman, the Australian pop singer/actress seems much happier and more secure. The evidence: "Counting Down the Days," her third album. Apparently the child-voiced singer is no longer "Torn," as she was in her debut, but is now "Satisfied."

"Starting today/I'm not gonna waste another moment/Even if I had had the chance before/I would have blown it," she sings at the start of the album, over a simple, upbeat little pop tune that is half keyboard, half acoustic guitar. That note carries over to songs where she talks a lot about home, "falling apart together," and the loneliness of long-distance relationships.

Those songs give Imbruglia's music a more , not the sort of "I met a guy and I'm crazy about him" love songs. The exception is "Shiver," a catchy song obviously destined for singledom. "Cause I shiver/I just break up/When I'm near you/It all gets out of hand." Catchy, yet rather trite.

Not every song focuses on marital bliss, however. "Satisfied" exposes worries about the future: "This knot could come undone/no matter how we try to keep it tied," she sings over a deceptively perky pop backdrop. Well, I gotta admit, who likes an all-happy collection of love songs?

It must count for something that the producer for Blur and the Doves, Ben Hillier, did work on "Counting Down the Days." The pop songs here tend to stick to ordinary guitar riffs, many of them acoustic-based -- a nice change of pace from the majority of light pop. Additionally, they are given some bells, organs and electronic flourishes.

Imbruglia's voice hasn't changed too much -- she still has that girlish Kylie-Minogue kind of voice. Not much of a range, but not unpleasant to the ear. She's able to carry off most of the songs here, though the writing descends to unpleasantly gooey in places. "You talk so much sense/when you're sleeping"? Adoring-the-sleeping-lover songs are overdone enough, without a line like that.

Expect a happier -- yet slightly insecure -- Natalie Imbruglia in "Counting Down the Days." Has several writing weaknesses, but a pleasant enough listen.