The eleventh studio album by Australian artist Kylie Minogue finally hit shelves today, after much much much anticipation from Kylies fans - and there are a lot of them worldwide! The album takes Kylie back to her dance floor sound, which she did so well around 2001-2003 before she started experimenting for her previous album, X. Kylie has teamed up with producer Stuart Price who has previously worked with Madonna, Scissor Sisters, Frankmusik and Keane and also songwriters Calvin Harris, Nerina Pallot, Jake Shears and Tim Rice-Oxley to create an album that is been in the works for the past couple of years.
The artwork for the album is all themed around the "Aphrodite" theme, who is the greek godess for love, beauty and sexuality and Kylie embodies that herself in the images on offer here.
1. All The Lovers - The lead single for this album campaign, and a successful hit in the UK and Europe and even gaining momentum in the US too. The sound is like a higher tempo "Slow", with more feel good vibes and a summery feel to it. The electro beats and synths, piano backing and Kylies whispy vocals create a euphoric sound which carries the entire track to the middle eight and build up to the instrumental break. More of the same but harder hitting is then unleashed until the track concludes with the sole line "All The Lovers"...blissful! 10/10
2. Get Outta My Way - More summer dance beats fill this track, with stripped verses leading into a stomping chorus. Kylie sounds confident and determined in her delivery of the lyrics which are themed around the shunning of a previous lover for a new one in front of them. Word is that this will be the second single from this campaign and should be just as successful as All The Lovers if released when the sun is still shining! 10/10
3. Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love) - This track instantly kicks off with a heavy beat, and Kylie chants the opening verse over these beats leading to a smash of a build up into the high tempo chorus. The electro vibe is really pushed in the chorus and is dancable and catchy. This is definitely a club stomper and should get floods of people to the dancefloor with their hands in the air, especially when the track gets to its disco middle eight! 10/10
4. Closer - This track is one of the more experimental tracks on the album, but still flows well and keeps the electro dance theme. The build up takes a while along with the first verse but by the time the chorus picks up the heavier beat is introduced and the track feels more complete. This is borderline mid-high tempo and does leave me a little confused after listening to it, as i'm not sure if I want to dance or just enjoy the listening experience. The vocals sound extremely Kylie of the early 2000's though! 7.5/10
5. Everything Is Beautiful - The first slightly chilled track on the album, this creates a nice breather from all the stomping around you may or may not have been doing so far. The heavy piano track running through the background, lazy summer beats and synths and slower vocals from Kylie create the sound which is perfect to go grab a drink before returning to the dancefloor, or sit down and de-sweat yourself. None of this make it a bad track though, and it is one of the albums hidden gems! 9/10
6. Aphrodite - OH MY LORD just about sums up my opinion of the title track. A funky almost marching beat opens this track, before Kylie chants a few lines and then wham, the track kicks off and is propelled into the outter stratosphere. The lyrics almost seem perfect for Kylies delivery, full of self confidence and an air of "I'm back" about them. The beats and military drums litter the track throughout and keep it moving as it makes it's way through the verses, powers through the choruses and then into the small middle eight where things are kicked off one final time before the track closes. This is the highlight of the entire album, in my very humble opinion! 11/10
7. Illusion - Kylie creates a calming vibe at the start of this track with her vocals before the slower dirty electro beat filters in and sets the pace for this one. There is a chilled feel to the track as well, but there's a little too much going on to put it in the same class as Everything is Beautiful. The digital beeps and synths keep the track sounding modern and fun, so be careful not to underestimate this track as I did first listen! 9/10
8. Better Than Today - This track opens straight away with a fun electro ditty and once things kick off the track still sounds very fun and very summery still. The production sounds similar to a Scissor Sisters track (dispite this one having no affiliation with Jake Shears), and whilst the beat isn't overly heavy, it is funky and literally plods at a decent pace. The guitar riffs create a little extra something here too and so this track remains interesting and exciting. 9.5/10
9. Too Much - Another highlight can be found here, with a heavy electro vibe flowing through it. The chorus is the best part, but the verses to not disappoint either. The heavy bass and effects almost push this track into a trance genre, but is pulled back into the dance feel with the middle eight break and Kylies distinct vocals. This is also the Calvin Harris produced and co-written track along with Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters, and has their sound all over it. 10/10
10. Cupid Boy - Again the boundaries of electro dance pop and trance are pushed here, but Kylie makes sure she knows what she wants this track to be classed as with her vocals, which sound like a mix of early 200's Kylie and "X" era Kylie. The chorus is hard hitting and the lyrics are clever and euphoric. The production values are high and the fun in this track is made obvious with Kylies voice. Another dancey summer track to entertain yourself with. 10/10
11. Looking For An Angel - Why is there always one track which never quite hits the mark and makes it almost impossible for me to rate a whole album a full ten? This track kicks off weak and doesn't really aim as high as the rest of the tracks, although Kylies vocals do sound fantastic. It is the last chilled sounding track before the close of the album, and whilst the first half sounds a little dull the second half does pick up slightly with more of a beat to it. The track is slightly experimental again and differs from the sound as a whole but sounds a little strange by the middle-eight. A pleasent listen, but breaks the pace a little. 6.5/10
12. Can't Beat The Feeling - Back to normality for this albums final track, this opens with a disco feel and keeps that theme going all the way through with the addition of a steady dance beat and electro synths and production. Another feel good track, but a little samey sounding by now. Still a euphoric sounding track with Kylie singing about the feelings she gets with a certain person which add to the tracks fun sound. 8/10
Overall rating: 9.5/10
I so so so wanted to give this album a full ten out of ten, but the score was tainted a little by a couple of SLIGHTLY weaker tracks, and the fact that it might not just be experimental enough for Kylie. Still, this is what the fans wanted after the mish mash of tracks found on "X" (although I enjoyed X quite a lot too...) and that is exactly what they got. A cohesive, complete, pure Kylie album - Kylie doing what she does best. The feel good value of this entire album is amazing, and will make a great soundtrack to the summer of 2010.
Depending on where you picked up the album from, you may have also got your hands on one of two bonus tracks, Heartstrings which is a mid-tempo electro chiller and very enjoyable, although almost a little sad sounding by Kylies vocals. There is also Mighty Rivers which comes with the iTunes copy of the album. The instrumental and verses are great but the chorus is a bit of a let down.
To close is a Kylie album, and one of her best if not her best yet! Kylie fans will love it, pop fans should love it and music fans in general should be able to appreciate it too. Well done to Kylie and team, now hurry up and get on tour with it!
