MUSIC WITH SALLY BROWNE PLAYLIST INDIE INSOMNIA Washington ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ With great praise comes great album opens with a bold jazzy pressure, but Brisbane’s Megan drum roll as Washington Washington manages to rise to the announces her entrance like a sexy challenge on Insomnia,a femme fatale on Holy Moses. Here, companion piece to her acclaimed her smoky, sexy voice really comes debut. On this eight-track record, into its own in a song that’s ripe for she’s ignored all that and followed a James Bond soundtrack (film her heart, which, in this case, producers, take note). Plastic Bag seems to be a broken one. Insomnia keeps things musically upbeat. But is a beautiful, rich and engaging from Skeleton Key onwards, she album, although it should probably takes us down some dark paths. be served with a good cup of tea, or The lyrics, however, are pure perhaps a stiff gin, to ward off a poetry. Washington proves she’s sniffle or two that might result no one-album wonder. from inspection of the lyrics. The Sally Browne ROCK MYLO XYLOTO Coldplay ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ So here’s the bad news. Coldplay, a played start to finish, the album is band that in the past has by no means a slave to the format. justifiably been accused of a Brian Eno’s fingerprints are all certain amount of self-indulgence, over Mylo Xyloto, not only with earnestness and bombast, has synth flourishes on the musical made what has traditionally interludes, but also in the borne the hallmarks of those very broadening of the Coldplay palette CELEBRATE things – a concept album. But to revel in new elements of dance, here’s the good news – it’s none of R&B and hip-hop. R&B superstar the above. In fact, it is bloody Rihanna acquits herself well in fantastic. While the official the duet with Martin on Princess explanation from the band is that of China, but she is the guest star WITH A BANG it’s a ‘‘love story with a happy in the show starring Coldplay. ending’’ and benefits from being James Wigney The perpetual kd lang reflects on decades of discovery as she POP returns to continue a love affair with Australia, this time STRONGER bringing with her a brand new band, writes Sally Browne Kelly Clarkson ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ n November 2, kd lang celebrates a things have unfolded pretty much as ‘‘expected’’. milestone birthday. The beloved She can recall with clarity her other major It has been almost a decade since sing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs pop Canadian singer will be turning the milestone birthdays. Kelly Clarkson was crowned the rock anthems such as I Forgive You big 5-0. She isn’t quite sure yet what ‘‘I remember my 40th,’’ she says. ‘‘I was in first American Idol in 2002 and the and You Love Me. Clarkson creeps O she’ll be doing to celebrate. But the India for the first time and I was as sick as a dog girl has certainly been busy – she’s into another former American Idol landmark day comes just days before and travelling to the Bodhi tree, where Buddha up to album No.5 already. On her star Carrie Underwood’s territory – she is due to hop on a plane to perform for attained enlightenment, so that was a pretty latest album, Clarkson finds middle country – on the closing number, Australian audiences, after the release of her special birthday. ground between formulaic cookie- Breaking Your Own Heart, which newest album Sing it Loud. ‘‘Thirty, I was in Paris for the first time in a cutter pop and introspective, has surprising depth. However, It’s one of those birthdays that provides a chance hotel by myself and I made myself a little picnic darker music as heard on her third there are too many average, to reflect on life. And lang has a stellar career to and I grabbed a bottle of wine and sat along the album, My December – which malleable-into-the-same-mould reflect on, from millions of albums sold, to river and fed the pigeons.’’ received mixed responses – tracks. The bottom line is that Grammys won, and paths crossed with stars from Further back, things get a little hazier. ‘‘I don’t prompting her last album, the Clarkson is not any stronger or Roy Orbison to Tony Bennett and Cindy Crawford, remember 20 to be quite honest,’’ she laughs. shiny All I Ever Wanted. More weaker on this album – by playing whom she famously posed with on that classic racy ‘‘I think at 30 I was really excited in terms of my mature tracks, like Honestly and it safe, she’s simply getting by. cover of Vanity Fair. art. I was making (film) Salmonberries at the time, The War Is Over, are balanced by Karen Tye She’s happy with where she is in life and says (hit album) Ingenue was about to come out, so I U ON SUNDAY . October 30. 2011 28.