IMOGEN HEAP

I Megaphone (Almo Sounds)

I MEGAPHONE is both an anagram of Imogen Heap’s name and, a declaration of intent. Megaphone may be a bit of an overstatement, but, certainly, Imogen is the proud possessor of a pair of lungs that could conceivably strip paint. She’s also one of the most over-hyped songstresses I’ve encountered in some time.

Her voice calls to mind both Kate Bush and Tori Amos by times, particularly on tracks like the piano-driven ‘Sweet Religion’, but she lacks the raw passion and emotional honesty of either of the above. She’s also not a million miles away from Alanis Morrisette (who she? Oh the fickle world of pop) in style – but without ever achieving the inherent catchiness of Morrisette’s output.

Most of I Megaphone comes on like a juggernaut, all heavily industrial beats and howling, whining vocals. The mood of the album is so uniform that by the time you’re six tracks in, you may as well be listening to the same song on repeat. Sure, its industrial tub-thumping and studied angst are listenable, but only as background music. Ultimately, the lack of real soul and emotion means that the music never manages to fully engage.

There are some decent moments: the claustrophobic intensity of ‘Getting Scared’; the catchy chorus of ‘Shine’; the piano and vocals of ‘Candlelight’; and, eh, well that’s about it really. Most of the songs have only a couple of verses and end up with various studio effects and repeated choruses trying to make up for the lack of depth.

Maybe there’s better to come from Imogen Heap, but on this evidence, her fairy tale rise to fame has less in common with the Sleeping Beauty, and is more a case of The Emperor’s New Clothes.

John Walshe