White Lilies Island

03/26/2002 7:00 PM, LAUNCH
Rob O'Connor

You have every right to be a little suspect when former models and actresses turn to music and employ a multitude of collaborators, co-writers, and producers to bring their "artistic vision" to fruition. It doesn't need to take a multi-national corporation to make music, but it happens anyway. Yet, one doesn't listen to the inner-workings of the star-making machine once the CD spins in the player. And it's the eventual product that the ears hear. As such, Australian pop sensation Natalie Imbruglia's long-in-the-making second album is an attractive collection of elaborate little pop songs (don't you just love the paradox?). Lyrics settle for the lighter side of angst and the arrangements are always colorful and instrumentally diverse. For variety's sake, it beats the monotonous buzz of most "genuine" punk bands hands down. Next step, having some genuine insights into the human condition. Then again, maybe not. We already have Alanis for that.