White Lilies Island

1	That Day 4:44
2	Beauty on the Fire 4:21
3	Satellite 3:08
4	Do You Love? 4:43
5	Wrong Impression 4:17
6	Goodbye 5:01
7	Everything Goes 4:01
8	Hurricane 3:38
9	Sunlight 5:01
10	Talk in Tongues 3:29
11	Butterflies 4:56
12	Come September 4:09

Barnes & Noble

Handily dispensing with any thoughts of a sophomore jinx, Natalie Imbruglia follows up her chart-topping debut, Left of the Middle -- which included the hit "Torn" -- with White Lilies Island, a dozen pop gems bathed in a sheen of loops and infectious hooks. Like her American peers Alanis Morissette and Fiona Apple, the 20-something Aussie finds her inspiration in the age-old intricacies of love and loss. When she's not sifting through the fallout of a disintegrated relationship (the ethereal beauty of "Goodbye") or lying in her bed marveling over a newfound one (the playful, "Big Yellow Taxi"-flavored "Satellite"), the former soap star loses herself in a labyrinth of sensuality (the electronica-flavored "Beauty on the Fire"). Imbruglia also manages to mix in a number of darker, acoustic guitar-driven moments, including the confessional "Talk in Tongues" ("Do you know where I've been/walls are caving in") and the equally captivating "Butterflies" ("Sickened by the wanting/and drowning from the need"). With its mix of more sophisticated songwriting, sweet singing, and alterna-rock flourishes, White Lilies Island proves that Natalie Imbruglia is one flower from Down Under that won't be wilting any time soon. Dave Gil de Rubio

All Music Guide

Natalie Imbruglia was an instant charm with her 1998 debut single, Torn, and expectations for a follow-up to Left of the Middle were practically immediate. Imbruglia wasn't quick to rush, however. Instead of investing in the quick pop sound she made popular on her first album, she took her time in redefining herself as a songwriter with substance. Four years after becoming an international star, Imbruglia emerged with her finest work to date with White Lilies Island. It's a record that breathes something pure, and one can sense that she has complete control, lyrically and musically. Her spiritual and emotional connection remains the same, and White Lilies Island is her reflection of the reinvention. "Wrong Impression" is sweet with its twangy guitar riffs, and Imbruglia's softness is deceiving. She's quite dark, and challenges typical notions of love and acceptance. "Beauty on the Fire" and the heavy romance of "Do You Love" continue the fight. "That Day" and "Sunlight" are strikingly edgy, and Imbruglia's simplicity and energy are intoxicating. She couldn't have rushed this album. Imbruglia has made a brilliant pop record -- contemporary, yet timeless. White Lilies Island would have suffered without Natalie Imbruglia's perfectionism, and it would have lost sight of the elegance it so perfectly exudes. MacKenzie Wilson