Trip The Light Fantastic - Sophie Ellis Bextor

I've never quite been able to make my mind up about the fantastically long-legged Sophie Ellis Bextor. I was quite taken with Theaudience back in the day (with their two top 40 singles) and whilst in solo terms she's occasionally come up with the goods (Groovejet, if that counts, and Murder On The Dancefloor) I can never quite get over some of the truly abysmal lyrics. Seriously, listen again to I Won't Change You...

I used to change my accent, change my stance
My phone number, the way I dance
Some people change lovers like they change their sheets
But I won't change you honey, you're for keeps

That's funny. And not in a "good" funny way either.

But anyway, that's neither here nor there really is it? It's my opinion on the new album you've come to check out isn't it?

Well it's...alright. It's not terrible but it's not awesome. It's an "in the middle" album.

I must get my apology in first of all as I kind of slated recent single Catch You on here a few weeks back but when actually listening to it on record it's a cracker. That's not to say that I didn't listen to it before I originally reviewed it, just that its sounds a lot better on record than it did on tv/radio/the internet.

There are other highlights too; despite the worst vocal phrasing on the word "dance" since Amelle from the Sugababes on Walk This Way, If I Can't Dance is a very catchy number indeed. New York City Lights is another winner, as is the Latin tinged New Flame.

Sadly there's also a lot of the album which is completely unmemorable. It's also very much "what you would expect" and there's only so much of the rent-a-hook dance beats matched with the detached icy personae that you can take in one sitting.

One thing is for sure though, her Greatest Hits collection will be fantastic.