Gillingham, Kent, UK, (By Mikey) - Each week I preview an album which I think deserves a listen to and if it's worth to buy, I will cater for all tastes of music from R'n'B to Rock, Hip hop and Pop. At the end of the page, you will find all future album releases.
Delta Goodrem - Innocent Eyes
Release Date: June 30, 2003
Far from being (yet) another soap-star-turned-singer, 18 year-old Delta Goodrem was working on her debut album when the producers of the TV Soap 'Neighbours' approached her to fill the role of Nina Tucker - a shy new school girl who has an amazing voice but is too afraid to sing in front of anyone. When the TV show's script called for Nina to record a demo, Delta presented the show's producers with 'Born To Try': "Everything fit, in terms of the music and the lyrics, with what I'd heard they wanted to do with the character", Delta explains. The effervescent young talent now further showcases her love of different sounds and grooves on her stunning debut album, as Delta quotes "I enjoy the pure catchiness of pop but I'm trying out different things on the album. There's some Latin feel in there and dance grooves. Everyone wants a little variety".
It's just the beginning, is something that Delta Goodrem says all the time. But what a beginning - Born To Try, the first single from Delta's debut album, took the Australian charts by storm, going to number one just after Delta's 18th birthday. It stayed in the Top 5 for more than three months, going triple platinum for sales of more than 210,000 copies.
But Delta's right - it is just the beginning. Now she has delivered Innocent Eyes, her stunning debut album. With a voice that soars, this is a young pop discovery, brimming with youthful zest, energy and innocence. And it's an album full of surprises. As Delta sings in Running Away: "Running away from predictable, Miss Reliable, so methodical/Be individual, an original". This is no manufactured star straight off the pop production line.
But this is Delta's story. She's forging her own path, creating her own history. Much of Innocent Eyes sounds like pages ripped from her diary. She wrote or co-wrote nearly all the tracks. The album's striking opening line is, "Doing everything that I believe in". "Every song holds a significant memory" Delta explains. "Wanted to make an album that reflected these times in my life".
Innocent Eyes is an album that heralds the arrival of a major new talent. An artist who's doing things her way. Grounded, focused and ambitious. "In my own time," Delta sings on one of Innocent Eyes' many standout tracks, "it'll be mine."
The title-track of Delta's debut album is her story. "I really wanted a song with a bit of a classical feel because I've been doing classical piano for 10 years," she explains. "This song is about looking at the world with innocent eyes, that enthusiasm, which I never want to lose."
Life for Delta has had its ups and downs, currently she is diagnosed has having Hodgkin's disease which a treatable form of lymphatic cancer. Hodgkin's disease starts in the lymphatic tissue, which stores infection-fighting white blood cells. It is usually treated with chemotherapy, but also radiotherapy in its earliest stages. Delta's condition is not life threatening, she will make full recovery as her prognosis was diagnosed early.
With two singles under her belt already - Born To Try and Lost Without You - this album is a must for all Delta fans, her talent just grows on you, songs like Predictable, Butterfly, and Running Away are pure classic with spine chilling melodies, make you hair stand on end, mind tingling sensations with a voice of an angel and they would also make great singles. If you thought Kylie or Holly were the best, well move over ladies this young girl is going to go all the way. As I said, "this album is a must", the contemporary music is excellent and it well deserves a listen. If I had to give this album a rating it will get top marks from me. 10/10
Tracklisting
1 Born To Try
2 Innocent Eyes
3 Not Me, Not I
4 Throw It Away
5 Lost Without You
6 Predictable
7 Butterfly
8 In My Own Time
9 My Big Mistake
10 This Is Not Me
11 Running Away
12 A Year Ago Today
13 Longer
14 Will You Fall Me
NEXT REVIEW: Girls Aloud 'Sound of the Underground'
Future Album Releases
August 11
Broadcast - 'Ha Ha Sound'
Eva Cassidy - 'American Tune'
The Cheeky Girls - 'Party Time'
Dashboard Confessional - 'A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar'
Thea Gilmore - 'Avalanche'
The Hiss - 'Panic Movement'
Kosheen - 'Kokopelli'
Lisa Maffia - 'First Lady'
Wayne Marshall - 'Marshall Law'
Shack - 'Here's Tom With The Weather'
Skid Row - 'Thick Skin'
Stiff Little Fingers - 'Guitar & Drum'
Luther Vandross - 'Essential'
Various - 'Neptunes Presents The Clones'
August 18
Alien Ant Farm - 'truANT'
Elbow - 'Cast Of Thousands'
The Faint - 'Danse Macabre Remixes'
John Mellencamp - 'Trouble No More'
Outkast - 'Speakerboxx'
Kate Rusby - 'Underneath The Stars'
Neil Young - 'Greendale'
August 25
Mary J Blige - 'Love & Life'
Michael Crawford - 'Anthology'
Rancid - 'Indestructable'
The Raveonettes - 'Chain Gang Of Love'
Richard X - 'Richard X Presents His X-Factor'
Wheatus - 'Hand Over Your Loved Ones'
September 1
Abs - Abstract Theory
Kelly Clarkson - Thankful
Beth Orton - The Other Side Of Daybreak
Sash! - S4 Sash
September 8
David Bowie - Reality
Iron Maiden - Dance With Death
Lemonescent - Unconditional Love
Elvis Presley - Second To None: The Greatest Hits
Spiritualized - Amazing Grace
TLC - Greatest Hits
September 15
Starsailor - Silence Is Easy
September 22
Siobhan Donaghy - Revolution In Me
Gareth Gates - TBA
Limp Bizkit - Panty Sniffer
Nickelback - The Long Road
Sting - Sacred Love
Travis - Twelve Memories
September 29
Dido - Life For Rent
Lene - Surprise
Lisa Scott-Lee - Unleashed
Lene Marlin - Another Day
Texas - Careful What You Wish For
October 6
Blondie - The Curse Of Blondie
Soft Cell - Soft Cell Live
October 13
Stacie Orrico - Stacie Orrico
