Kate Miller-Heidke -Curiouser

Tue 11th Nov, 2008 in Music Reviews

After the success of 2007’s debut album Little Eve, you would think that Kate Miller-Heidke could do no wrong. Thankfully Curiouser does nothing to disprove this theory. Showing that pop isn’t a dirty word, Kate has produced an album that showcases her amazing vocal ability and unique (albeit slightly more realistic) view of the world.

There is a sense of fun and playfulness throughout this album. Even the title suggests that Kate is trying to get her audience to forget logic and instead look at situations through youthful eyes. Using plenty of schoolyard references, in tracks such as The End Of School, she takes you on a journey back to a time when living in the moment was all there was to life.

All you have to do is listen to single Can’t Shake It to know Kate is not trying to be cool. Opening with a thumping beat and her signature operatic vocals, this track puts a tongue-in-cheek spin on all those dancefloor anthems. Expressing her lack of dance skills through lyrics like, “I execute the moonwalk like I stepped in shit”, you get the feeling that Kate is one of those rare people who is not afraid to poke fun at themselves.

There is also plenty of attitude in her songwriting. Supergirl is a tough female anthem with a rock edge, while God’s Gift To Women is the perfect ego-deflating track. Note to any overly confident guys: Kate is more than capable of putting you in your place. Although she is willing to include some male backing vocals, such as on the foot-stomper Politics in Space.

Weaved throughout the perfectly cute pop songs are several tracks that have more of an emotional depth to them. Some of these work better than others. Caught in The Crowd is beautifully nostalgic, while piano ballad The Last Day On Earth doesn’t quite match the likes of Space They Cannot Touch from Little Eve. As a whole, Curiouser will hopefully show a few more people that pop can be smart and fun at the same time.

Curiouser is out now on Sony BMG.