Kylie Minogue - Fever (CD 2001)

The diminutive Aussie Pop diva, Kylie Minogue is probably more famous and popular than she ever has been before. Though she has never really made it in the U.S she did enjoy some success with this album and has indeed garnered a series of loyal fans in the States who simply lap up her unique work that is not unlike Madonnas earlier output.

In late 2001, Kylie scored one of her biggest hit singles in years with the robotic, electro-pop track, Can't Get You Out Of My Heart which is almost trance-like from its slight though compelling repetition. Instantly infectious, Can't Get You Out Of My Head became one of the biggest club hits of 2001 as well as topping several countries around Europe (including the U.K where she has always been a consistently high seller). Following a successful re-invention with the stunning Light Years (2000) on which she moulded herself into becoming a modern day disco diva, it was quite clear that the diva was back, unbeatable, better than ever and even more remarkable.

Also making great dance records was infact the entire album which was crammed with ptential hit singles. Though you could argue that the recordings tend to become rather formulaic at some points, it is consistenly infectious, highly enjoyable and is just bursting out with energy. Many of her vocals are synchronised against the highly synthesised effect to add to that essential club feel.

This was much the case with another pair of hits from the album, the bouncy, even angelic, Love At First Sight and the mesmerising, In Your Eyes which was utterly compelling with its complex, trance-like musical arrangements.

The title track, Fever is a bouncy slice of Pop that is as playful as ever where as showing off her more sassy side was featured on the driving Burning Up which would have made ideal chart material. However more startling was the superb, Give It To Me which contained some highly inventive and origanal musical arrangements that was strikingly quite ahead of its time. Kylie proves to be a dynamic and versatile vocalist on tracks such as these.

The hypnotic tone of Fragile is dazzling and hauntingly atmospheric in its mood. What does seem to hark back to her old Stock, Aikten And Waterman sound was the upbeat pop number, On The Dance Floor that was less origanal than the majority of the album. Kylies vocal delivery had clearly improved since her days of bubblegum pop in the late 80's, with her voice having lost that slight nasal sound and has grown more refined, confident and sassy in recent times.

Come Into My World is a sassy, sultry, sexually charged number that contains a fabulous performance from Miss. Minogue whilst other tracks on the album are all standard Pop/Dance cuts that when judged on their own merits are still infectious. From the racing rhythm on the albums opening track, More, More, More to the jamming affairs of Love Affair and Burning Up, they each complete the albums line up and round this off as a significant comback in Kylies career (she suffered a lull with her recording career in the late 1990's).

Quite possibly on a par with the masterpiece Light Years (2000) album. Even if not, certainly not far behind.