Album Review: Natalie Imbruglia - 'Algorithm'
Destined to be on every ‘For You’ page, Natalie Imbruglia triumphs with new album ‘Algorithm’.
Five years on from her last release, Natalie Imbruglia is back and better than ever with ‘Algorithm’. Returning as an independent artist, this is Imbruglia at her most personal, honest and determined. This new era sees Natalie step into shimmery synth-pop technicolor, embracing genres we haven’t heard from her before. The individuality and charm that we all fell in love with way back when she first released ‘Torn’ underpins the whole thing and it’s clear that she is well and truly where she belongs.
Introspective, honest and with a sincere vulnerability, Imbruglia is all too aware of the pressures to deliver with this record. Seeking to define this new era as one of empowerment, freedom and creative fulfillment, many of the tracks on the album explore complicated feelings and themes. In her own words, she explained:
‘For this album I knew that I would have to share my deepest feelings which was hard - but it freed up the mood, allowing us to all connect on a different level. This connection is reflected in the songs, which I believe makes them better.’
The sentiment she talks about comes through clearest on lead single ‘Upside Down’. Written about trying to find the ‘up-sides’ whilst feeling down, it speaks to the album’s wider tone of hopefulness for the future. Imbruglia has been incredibly candid about the fact that whilst there has been a lot of joy and community that has come out of creating this album, it has also been a period of her mental health being the worst it has been. She describes the ability of taking something so dark and painful and turning it into light as the ‘beauty of music and artistic creation’. With flourishing synths, bright and energetic percussion and her signature lilting vocals, the track celebrates the relinquishing of control and finding clarity in self-acceptance.
Title track ‘Algorithm’ is a particularly fun listen, opening with experimental sirens and synths reminiscent of Eurythemics and Depeche Mode. The 80s electropop feel lends itself well to the subject at hand as Imbruglia unpacks her own struggles with social media addiction and the dangers of living in a digital age where social media puts such immense pressure on people to appear a certain way. An instant standout, it pushes her songwriting and production abilities to new heights with its layering of spoken word interludes, percussion and vocal harmonies. Each work to create a sound that whilst still very distinctly ‘Imbruglia’, accurately captures the heightened and often distorted sense of reality that the internet projects.
The joy of being an independent artist gives Imbruglia the space to play and explore with genre. A great deal of the record operates in the shimmery synth pop world but there are moments where she gets to experiment with her sound, tapping into trance inspired elements on ‘Breathe With the Fire Lola’ and more alternative orchestration on ‘Jesus on Mars’. Imbruglia makes it clear that she needs not rely on nostalgia and even after 6 albums, she is constantly working to continue to develop her craft.
During a period where the tides of pop culture seem to be moving back towards the lights of the dance floor, ‘Algorithm’ could not be timed better. A community affair, it features a heavy hitting line-up of collaborators. Imbruglia who co-wrote the project in full is joined by a series of incredible creatives including David Sneddon, Fraser T Smith, Gary Lightbody, Tim Bran, Roy Kerr, Mark Crew, MyRiot and Anu Pillai. For Imbruglia, her independent label, and all those who have helped her get to where she is, the album ultimately is bold, emotionally charged and sonically alive. Both current, in communication with genres and styles from her youth, and totally distinctive, its a powerful declaration from an artist who is wholly in command of her voice.
Words by Kirsty-Ann Thomson
