It's two years since we heard a peep out of miniature pop starlet Kylie Minogue. 2012 saw the release of The Abbey Road Sessions, an album of live, reworked moments from Kylie's back catalogue; it was a success. Now with a conveniently timed stint on The Voice UK as a mentor/judge/killer of dreams, she's released her 12th studio album, 26 years since she released her debut Kylie in 1988. This one is called Kiss Me Once and the question on your lips before you pucker up should be "is it any good?"
Lead single Into The Blue also serves as the album opener. It's a summery pop track with an exhilarating chorus and strong pre chorus build up. You can tell as soon as it begins you're in for a treat and it's certainly one of the album's strongest tracks. The pop sound is continued with Million Miles and I Was Gonna Cancel. The former is a typical Kylie dance pop track with a throbbing synth arrangement and predictable but enjoyable chorus. It's another strong track, but doesn't have the depth of the album's lead single. The latter is an ode to her 80s days, I Should Be So Lucky feels a lot closer in time when the Pharrell Williams production kicks in. It's the kind of song you want to dislike but is destined to become a fan favourite for its quirkiness. Again, it's as shallow as an empty paddling pool but it's ridiculously catchy and after repeated plays an album highlight.
It wouldn't be a Kylie album without some sex thrown in for good measure. Disco flavoured Sexy Love is infectious and likeable where electronic r&b sore thumb Sexcersize struggles to avoid the skip button. The Sia Furler penned track would be a perfect fit on Kylie's X album; here it just feels out of place. Being as obvious as she can about having some sex on the album she closes off the "sex" tracks with Les Sex, a twinkly electro dance track with elements of euro rave. "Take two of these and meet me in the shadows" she sings to her lover, comparing sex to a drug. Either that or she's actually giving him two viagra? It's a fun track but again, completely void of any emotional power and screams "filler!"
The 'sex' tracks aside and the disastrous over vocoded duet with Enrique Iglesias Beautiful, Kiss Me Once does feature some wonderful pop music. A*M*E/Little Mix producer and writer MNEK turns the knobs on the beautiful Feels So Good, one of Kiss Me Once's most triumphant moments. It's mid tempo, ghostly pop with gorgeous production that builds up to a stunning final chorus. If Only, produced and written by one of the guys who helped create Solange's True EP, is an epic mid tempo ballad with an impressive vocal turn by Kylie and a solid middle eight. It wouldn't be an unlikely song to feature on an MKS album. Things don't get really (and I mean really) awesome until the title track Kiss Me Once. Written by Sia, this is the album's best track and even trumps Into The Blue. From the echoey opening to the brilliant pre chorus, the song then erupts into sheer perfection.
Kiss Me Once is not the best album Kylie Minogue's released, nor is it her worst. Closing track Fine threatens to burst into an epic dance frenzy but it never does and this is disappointing. It would suit a remix to perhaps disperse the annoying Imogen Heap style vocal tampering. This folly repeats itself a few times on the album, songs never quite reaching their full potential. It's a shallow pop album, but the moments where it does show depth and emotion are actually quite incredible and at times, explosive.
Download: Kiss Me Once / Into The Blue / Feels So Good / I Was Gonna Cancel / If Only
3 / 5
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