Finding Her Feet

Long before "Pop Idol" appeared on our screens, the cast of "Neighbours" had already apparently cottoned on to the fact that get a person on TV for long enough, make them a familiar enough face to the public and they are, irrelevant of their ability to keep a tune, pretty much guaranteed a top ten hit. Time after time "Neighbours" has churned out wannabe popstrels who soar to the top of the charts in the flash of an eye - think Kylie, Jason (my favourite out the bunch!) and Natalie Imbruglia to name but a few.

The downside of this, however, is that these soapstars-turned-singers have started to face a bit of backlash and get a reputation as one-hit wonders and non-talents who are riding on the back of their TV fame. This is true for a lot of them, no doubt (not that you can really blame them, if you're offered the chance to make some extra money and have a bit of fun then surely it would be silly to say no!) but occassionally there emerges a real talent, someone with a bit of sticking power, like, for example, Natalie Imbruglia. However, occasionally a genuine talent emerges who seems to have everything in place to be the perfect pop package - the looks, the voice, even the ability to write their own songs, but they just don't seem to get there... and gradually they disappear in to oblivion, that huge studio (where is it?!) full of out-of-work soap/popstars who insist every so often to the press that they are "currently working on a new album" that never actually arrives.

Anyway, one of these forgotten talents, in my humble opinion, is none other than Holly Valance, aka "Neighbours"'s Felicity Scully. Holly was raised in a musical family, her dad being an accomplished jazz guitarist and pianist, and Holly is not just talented vocally but also wrote two of the songs on this album, which is good for a debut.

Holly brought out her first album while she was still appearing in the show over here in the UK, following the success of singles "Kiss Kiss", "Down Boy" and "Naughty Girl". From the release of first single "Kiss Kiss", Holly looked set for stardom, winning many awards such as 'Woman of the Year' by GQ (although this probably wasn't based on her singing ability!) and 'Best New Artist' at the Japanese Music Inustry Awards and achieving an instant number one hit with her first single and top ten hit with her debut album. Despite this success, Holly was unfeasibly dropped by her record company out of the blue after her second album didn't quitematch this success. Despite this I feel that Holly deserves a second chance and would like to encourage others to sample what was my favourite album of the year.

KISS KISS is the first track on the album and her first single. When Holly first brought this out a lot of people were surprised as it has a unique Eastern Europe type sound and is not very "pop princess", which is what many people had anticipated. It is very dancy and catchy and is a good one for a party or to get ready to. It sets the tone for this unusual, upbeat album.

TUCK YOUR SHIRT IN, the second track, sounds quite similar to KISS KISS and is also very upbeat with lots of bass and with an unusual sound. It is a really good track but should not perhaps have been placed directly after KISS KISS as it is quite similar.

DOWN BOY was Holly's second single and has a catchy chorus but is more chilled out than KISS KISS. It is not your usual pop but is very catchy. It is one of my favourite tracks on the album and one that I don't get bored of listening to, even though it was a single and on the TV a lot. It is a grower but also a stayer!

CITY AIN'T BIG ENOUGH is a huge change from the first three songs and sounds as though it belongs to a different album. A lot of people that I know who have the album said that it was their favourite song on the album. It is a nice, slow song (but not a ballad) and Holly's voice sounds really nice on it. It is a great track to be placed here as it emphasises that Holly is not just a one trick pony and offers a different sound from upbeat pop.

COCKTAILS AND PARTIES is also quite slow and a nice enough song if a bit forgettable. It seems to be a bit of a filler and I tend to skip it sometimes, even though it is a good song in its own right, simply because it is nothing special and it precedes my favourite song on the album, WHOOP. WHOOP is probably one of my favourite songs ever. And I mean ever! I just love it, it always cheers me up when I put it on and makes me want to dance which is saying a lot because I never ever dance ever. The music is so unusual, the lyrics are very girl power (not necessarily a good thing, I'm no feminist, but just thought it helps describe the track!) - "I don't need a man to have fun" - and it is pop music at its absolute best - as in it sounds like no song that I have ever heard before.

HUSH NOW is a bit more standard pop and is a nice one to listen to but not one that really sticks out. It is a bit slower than some other tracks and tends to be a bit forgettable. However, it is followed by ALL IN THE MIND which is absolutely amazing. Holly has gone back to the Eastern sound here and I love the music at the beginning, I keep saying this but it is a really unique sound of Holly and one that I haven't heard on any other pop album.

HARDER THEY COME was written by Holly Valance and it is quite a chilled out track that shows off her voice. It is, truth to tell, a bit of a filler, but that is only becuase the songs surrounding it are so good and it is not a weak song in itself.

HELP ME HELP YOUis probably the weakest song on the album, it is a bit too slow and doesn't really go anywhere. I think this song and SEND MY BEST (which is written by Holly Valance) are offered as the comulsory ballads but although they show that Holly can actually sing and hold a tune there is not much else going for them and I think that she should really stick to the more upbeat pop sings (or pick better ballads).

NAUGHTY GIRL is a great track and consequently Holly's third single. It is quite laid back with a nice tune and is a unique song that I love listening to.

CONNECT, along with WHOOSH, is my favourite song on the album and one that I used to play over and over again when I first got the album as I just absolutely love it. The music is great and it is just an amzing upbeat song.

I know that this album sounds a bit dubious, an ex-Neighbours star is never a great selling point, but I just cannot express how much I love this album. I found it difficlut to review as there are only so many times that you can use the word "unique" and "unusual" but that is what this album is all about. It is pop but not pop as you know it! If you have heard Kiss Kiss then you may know what I mean by this! It is deffinitely a feel-good make-you-wanna-dance album and deffinitely worth a listen. I recommended it to everyone when I got it and those that got it loved it too. It may not appeal to everyone but if you like a bit of pop yet are fed up of those same-sounding songs then you should deffinitely give it a listen! There may be some fillers but the majority of songs are amazing and really need to be heard!