Kylie Minogue - Kiss me Once (Deluxe Edition)

(CD Album Review)

*****

Another classic sexy album from Miss Minogue!!!

Kylie Minogue returns with her twelfth studio album, the album promised to deliver with big name producers from Pharrell Williams to Sia with a bit of MNEK on creating duties. On first few listens the stronger tracks from the album shone right threw including the first single 'Into the blue'. The opening chords of the track gave off a R&B vibe which basically tricks you into thinking, signed to RocNation and showed where the album’s direction would be heading. Even though as soon as the intro concludes with the male backing vocal of “Ohh and Aww-ing”, you can feel the real Kylie Minogue coming out. So please stand up and applaud the amazing Pop-tastic chorus, which even has a few Kate Bush warbles in the middle eight, which we first witnessed from Kylie back in 2004 with her hit 'I believe in You'.

Much like her hit 'Slow' and '2 Hearts' really launch this album and with all fairness is a stand alone style track. This great Pop track on it's own merit are brilliant, however is not the strongest single that Miss Minogue’s has released. Yet married with the video which emulates her PWL era... think 'What do I have to Do' video it suddenly gives this track added strength. The follow up single was written by Pharrell and has that almost summery American vibe to it, like 'I was gonna Cancel' which was a track that came together because Kylie claims when arriving at the session with Pharrell that she literally was going to cancel it. Maybe this was over the split of her recent partner or something else, but what came out of it was something interesting and a instant sing-a-along classic track with a memorable chorus with cleverly written verses that suit. How this single did not chart... I have no idea and though hearing this and other tracks from the album make me feel that Kylie wanted it to have a summer vibe to it and maybe the release in the Winter month of March was a wrong choice and it should have been released in the Summer months like June or July.

'Sexy Love' again has that slick American vibe to it and with the reference to “The 4th of July” makes you aware where this album was aimed for the American market. It's a great Pop track though very like her hit 'Love at first Sight' let's call it Part 2, yet without the uniqueness and coolness that track still holds over twelve years on, nevertheless another strong track which is catchy and very Kylie. Stand out album track 'Les Sex' gives you the feel of Kylie's love for Paris, the track is very cute, Poppy and has the sweetest vocals on it. Again this album for me this album has some of her Poppiest tracks since her PWL days on it, and on 'Les Sex' can hear the resemblance in the melody to the single 'Got to be Certain'. Though nowhere in 'Got to be Certain' the word sex is mentioned, yet with the “Woooo ooh ooh’s” which echo throughout this track it’s a piece of Pop perfection.

The title track 'Kiss me Once' again has a strong resemblance to her PWL days, in partially with album title track 'Enjoy yourself' written by Sia also mirrors her recent single 'Chandelier' and both songs are top notch Pop records. The opening chords of the intro really does offer you something truly special, it’s not brash and it's underrated, it’s most definitely not over the top and you can sing-a-along to it because it has a pleasant beat and melody. Kylie’s vocals over a almost ballad with Synths and strings is one of the highlight of the album and a five out of five for sure. 'Sexercize' on first listen had me reaching for the pause button, and had been chucked into the album filler categories. Yet like 'Into the Blue' when the video promo of the track circulated the internet, the track and video together almost changed my opinion, a sexy, raunchy song with elements of 'Body Language' album and the track 'Sensitized'... again not a fan of that track and I guess my original association of 'Sexercize' was just like that. Again this was aimed at the US market and added more sexiness to an already sizzling album.

'Beautiful' produced by Metro is a track that I think over does it on the Voocoda, the special sound that gave Cher that hidden vocal range on 'Believe' which was one of her biggest hits in the last decade. I think this is the sound you would expect robots in the future to sing like... well if they met someone and fell in love. After saying all this after a few more listens and taking away the actual Synth and over production, the track alongside Enrique’s vocal is beautiful. Its what’s it say on the tin but was it ever worth releasing as a single? Well maybe not though visions of a floating Kylie and Enrique in the style of her 1994 video 'Put yourself in my Place' while the two robot people sing to each other is something I quite like to see. And as they float up in the sky before finally grabbing each other was something I envisioned with this track, it a ballad and a unique one at that but I think her best duet to date still has to be 'Especially for You' with a close second being 'If you were with me Now'.

This album truly was one of two halves, like I stated, there was its stand out songs and then the other half where more growers than showers and one in particular being 'If only', it was one of them tracks you would hear when playing the album in full and not actually ever knowing the title of it... till one day you decide to look. It has a great intro though, again with a very American sound and the verses are quite beautiful topped up with a pounding chorus, And as Kylie echoes 'If only' you notice that the backing vocal of “Oh-oh-awwws” are almost orgasmic. Just like 'If only' another track which grew on you without knowing the title was 'Feel so Good', a happy yet delicate track that plods nicely into an almost R&B Pop style. This again I would place next to additional track on the album 'Sleeping with the Enemy' with its almost 90’s 2-step vibe would not sound out of sorts on a Massive Attacks greatest hits album. I think with it's unpretentious and underrated melody and Kylie’s sexy whispery vocals dolloped on top of it like extra cream on a already over sugared ice cream sundae.

On this CD the extra additional bonus track 'Mr President' sounds like if Marilyn Monroe was around and still making records, this track would of been her very own leak tape. This song has Kylie written all over it, on every angle in every Gay after hours bar in the country, no!!! in the World. It's bass line and heavy duty pumping is that of a hundred muscle Mary’s dancing to 3pm the Sunday after the night before as Kylie’s vocals resemble between Marilyn and Minnie Mouse as she squeals “Mr President”, in almost a sexualized way, tongue and cheek meets kiss and tell.

Overall the album showcases more of the last twenty five years of Kylie, more edgier and polished Pop compared to the Pop ditties of 'Kylie' and 'Enjoy Yourself', but with the same sing-a-along heart felt ness of a teenage Minogue. It sounds just like the material she was singing back then, to more of her recent Pop revamp of 'Light years, Body Language, Fever' and 'X' with a tinge of 'Aphrodite'. Though I would say it's not as streamlined as the 'Aphrodite' which to me fitted like a perfect jigsaw as one track led to another, this album is more about picking thirteen unique tracks and throwing them in the air and seeing where they land. People may think of this album as nothing special, and nothing to add to the best one hundred album ever charts, but 'Kiss me Once' to me brings charm, character, bit cheeky, bit cheesy but it’s Kylie at her best to slip behind her previous eleven albums......