 Melanie C As soon as I heard that Mel C was coming out with a solo album, I was super-psyched. Sporty was by far my favorite Spice Girl, and the potential for pure undiluted Mel C spread across an entire album was extremely exciting. Of course I harbored some secret doubts and fears that the album would reveal her to be a talentless studio puppet (let's face facts, the Geri Halliwell solo album was not, to be kind, sheer musical genius at work), and those fears were not calmed by early press reports of Mel doing an abysmal "Anarchy in the UK" at live shows. But I am pleased to say that Northern Star is proof positive that you shouldn't buy into what you read (um, except in the Loud Bassoon, of course). In fact, the album is so damn good that I'd be curious to hear that supposedly terrible "Anarchy in the UK" now – I'd be willing to bet that it's better than the Sex Pistols version, which, come to think of it, is crap. My faith fully restored, I can recommend Northern Star with great enthusiasm. The album is as catchy as either of the Spice Girls albums, but far less annoying, and quite a lot more genuine. Mel's new sound is still way pop, but more in the vein of Madonna's recent material – lots of synths and strings rather than "zig-a-zig-zigs" and whatnot. From the moment the big beat drums of "Go!" kick in to the closing moments of the exquisitely fragile "Feel The Sun," the album rarely falters. The songs are top-shelf, Mel's voice is awesome, the production is excellent, and a lot of the lyrics are quite meaningful, going a long way to defining Mel C as an artist apart from the Sporty Spice persona, which, entertaining though it was, was a cartoony fiction. There are some dodgy moments, such as the "Another Day in Paradise"-like "If That Were Me," which features the lines "Is it lonely where you are/sleeping in between parked cars" and "I couldn't live without my phone/but you don't even have a home." This is probably the album's biggest fumble of a song, but I should say that the melody and performance are so good that I listen to it now with no cringing whatsoever. Sure, it's a bit of a dopey take on homelessness, but in that way it's possibly a more honest song that "Another Day in Paradise" is, inadvertently capturing the sort of cursory shallowness most of us have regarding that issue. At any rate, it's hardly a huge stumble, especially since it is followed by "Never Be the Same Again," probably my favorite song on the album, featuring one of the catchiest choruses I've heard in awhile and the always welcome presence of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. The lead track, "Go!" was produced by William Orbit, but ironically is probably the least Ray of Light-sounding track on the album – it's got a twinge of "Beautiful Stranger," but Mel C is more like the Monkees to Madonna's Beatles. That's not an insult, by the way – in fact, in many respects I appreciate the Monkees much more than the Beatles. And I should say, the Monkees comparison doesn't end there – witness the "Cuddly Toy"/"Daydream Believer"-esque "Suddenly Monday," produced by Rick Rubin (?!) and providing the album's greatest burst of fresh air. Unabashed mid-60s pop, a knowing in-joke playing off the kinship between the Spice Girls and the Monkees. A wonderful moment, bolstered by one of Mel's best ever vocals. I could (and sometimes do) listen to this song twenty times in a row without getting tired of it. Other brilliant moments include "I Turn to You," which recalls "Missing" by EBTG but quite a bit more subtle and sublime, "Northern Star," a very Ray of Light-esque track with some great lyrics, and "Closer," which wouldn't sound out of place on a late-period Erasure album (that's a compliment). Probably my lesser favorite tracks are the ones that seem more calculated for radio potential: "Go!," "Ga Ga," and "Goin' Down," each of which still have lots of merit, though compared to some of the more personal stuff on the album, they seem a bit like Spice Girls throwbacks, though I suppose that was not to be avoided, and what's more, you gots to love the Spice Girls. Northern Star is almost, but not quite, a Listen Without Prejudice for Mel, demonstrating her "real" side but not really committing to full-on personal artistry. But it is there. I'm glad the album did well, at least internationally – it doesn't seem like critics took it seriously – but I must say it's an album that surprised me with its quality. I've probably got 500 CDs on my desk right now, and I'm listening to this one about twice a day. Definitely not the work of a "wannabe." Er, the album, that is. My reviews, that's another story.
Review by J-Lo Browne |