Sheer brilliance; it simply doesn't get any better than this
MattW | Seattle, WA USA | 06/15/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The unmistakeable voice of Sophie Ellis has a heavenly collision with a flawless array of pop diddies making this one of the must have Summer albums of all time. Her previous two releases were wonderfully catchy but plagued with some unfortunately low points. This is truly her first cohesive piece of entertainment, retaining the sense of fun, sophistication, and sass that one comes to expect, but infused with a maturity lacking in her earlier work. Sophie, working with a fine selection of craftsmen including songstress and past pop star Cathy Dennis (Cant' Get You Out Of My Head) and Dan Gillespie from the Feeling, create a very cohesive piece of work that's listenable through and through with the exception of the bonus track Supersonic, written with Fred Schnieder of B-52's; the song is a terrible piece of hideousness, a scab on an otherwise flawless complexion if you will. Miracously ice princess Sophie mangages to imbue the other excellent tracks with an unfamiliar warmth that certainly have lacked some "human touch" in the past. Too many above par tracks to mention but singles "Catch You" and "Me And My Imagination" are two of the strongest tracks she's ever recorded, and all of the songs have their moments to shine, peppered with gorgeous moments of genius and sprinkled with beautiful pop melodies. "Love Is Here" is destined to an enormous hit and sits proudly alongside her dance classics "Murder On The Dance Floor" & "Take Me Home". Thanks Sophie for this Summer gift!"
More of the same
B. Argo | Savannah, GA USA | 07/09/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"If you've heard one Sophie Ellis-Bextor album, you've heard them all. Mostly- true. Each album has a slightly different feel. "Read My Lips" was disco. "Shoot From the Hip" was more, hmmm experimental? atmospheric? With "Trip the Light Fantastic" she's treading steadily in the middle of the road with solid pop shoes on. More listenable than "Hip" and with more emotional diversity than "Lips", "Trip" delivers exactly the same Sophie vocals. Beautiful, distinct, and sultry - yes, but sadly prone to monotony if the song doesn't provide some strong musical moments.
Some have said that "Supersonic" is the 'worst' song on the album. I like it for providing a different feeling from the rest of the album. The song has energy. Most of the album is made up of synth beats that complement but blend with Sophie's already hypnotic, if not meditative, vocals. "Catch You", "Love is Here", "Only One", "China Heart", and "Today, the Sun's on Us" provide guitars, stanzas, choruses, bridges, and emotional changes in the vocals. They stand out, to me, as stronger songs than the likes of "If I Can't Dance", and "The Distance Between Us" which start with a generic synth sound and after 3 or 4 odd minutes of innocuous vocals you find yourself with no idea of what just passed.
I am a fan and am pleased as punch to have this album. However, I think that Sophie should break out of her shell a little more and take a few more risks with her vocal stylings. Not because I dislike "Lips", "Hip", and "Trip", but we have that sound already. Overall, It's beautiful, a good listen. I could drop a couple of songs but, hey, I liked the ones others didn't, so- Something for everyone I suppose.
"Love is Here" is worth buying the album- This really ought to be a single. "What Have We Started" is gorgeous. It has violins, cymbals, a sort of 'later Abba' rock-pop melody and the best Vocals on the album."
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1
