Fridae

Like most straight boys and lesbians with taste, Ms Scary was besotted with Ms Natalie Imbruglia aka the Christy Turlington of Pop (as christened by yours truly) when she catapulted to the top of the charts with "Torn" in 1997. Unfortunately, the Australian beauty later became less known for her hits and more for her relationships with David Schwimmer and Lenny Kravitz (what was she thinking?).

Currently one of L'Oreal's living dolls, the gorgeous Ms Imbruglia is back with a brand new album entitled Counting Down The Days which features a collection of so-bright-it-hurts guitar pop which her fans would undoubtedly adore - and lovers of brooding or angst-filled music should unequivocally avoid.

Musically, the album can be divided into light bouncy pop including the "Torn"-lite opening track "Starting Today," the charming first single "Shiver" and the equally sparkling "Perfectly" with its odd S & M themed lyrics (sample: "The further away you push me/the closer I feel to you") as well as pseudo-troubled sounding ballads such as "I Won't Be Lost" and "On The Run."

Unfortunately, with all of the best songs - except "Perfectly"- crammed into its first half, Counting Down The Days falls flatter than a bony waif's chest in its lackluster second half. So Ms Scary's verdict: a decent but nondescript pop release that fails to return the former soap star to pop star to the heydays of her debut Left Of The Middle.

Scary's Selected Spins: "Starting Today," "Shiver," "Satisfied" (written by Mr Imbruglia - Silverchair's Daniel Johns no less!), "I Won't Be Lost," "Slow Down" and "Perfectly."