Over the years,
Natalie Imbruglia
has veered between pop that pushes the envelope and the kind that aims straight at the mainstream. Her later albums blended those extremes more evenly; on 2015's
Male
, she made songs written by
Daft Punk
and
Tom Petty
sound like her own. Six years on,
Firebird
finds her balancing the different sides of her music, as well as hope and heartache, with assurance. The album's title is no coincidence -- there's a triumphant feel to the whole affair, and the happiest songs are among the most immediate. "Build It Better" kicks off the album on a confident, optimistic note, and "What It Feels Like" and "Invisible Things" are so sweetly breezy that they're ready for their rom-com closeups. Any time it feels like things might be getting a little too smooth,
Imbruglia
brings back the edge her music has hinted at since "Torn" and
White Lilies Island
. Created with
the Strokes
'
Albert Hammond, Jr.
and that band's longtime producer
Gus Oberg
, the standout "Maybe It's Great" is a fun synth pop pastiche that calls to mind
Robyn
as well as
Scandal
Pat Benatar
, while "On My Way"'s twangy rock echoes the
Pretenders
and "River"'s moody mix of electronic and acoustic instrumentation harks back to
Left of the Middle
. If songs such as these hint that
hasn't forgotten the past as she rises from the ashes, then she makes it clear with "Just Like Old Times," a fond look back that isn't a wish to turn back the clock, and the unapologetic acceptance of "Not Sorry." Though the album's generous track list presents many different facets of
's style, they -- and
as a whole -- all feel genuine. ~ Heather Phares