Album of the week
Natalie Imbruglia's global hit "Torn" ripped through radio and led to three Grammy nominations and double-platinum sales for her 1998 debut album, Left of the Middle. Then the Australian singer-songwriter became harder to find than Dick Cheney. The break seems to have done her good. Imbruglia has returned with a well-crafted collection of tuneful pop rock on White Lilies Island.
Sounding like a cross between Sheryl Crow and Sarah McLachlan, Imbruglia is still finding her own voice—something not easy to do with four different producers and four cowriters—but she sings appealingly, and her songs have strong melodic hooks. Most of this rewarding CD consists of breezy guitar-based tracks such as the single "Wrong Impression," but Imbruglia also rocks out on "That Day," spitting out its stream-of-consciousness lyrics. She is at her most ethereal on the bittersweet ballad "Goodbye."
Bottom Line: Back in bloom
