Natalie Bassingthwaighte - 1000 Stars

All Music Guide

There are plenty of pop starlets to be had, and while many muse at America's fascination with the form, the overwhelming force of pop in Europe and Australia simply can't be compared. At the forefront of the Aussie portion of the pop world is Natalie Bassingthwaighte, a songstress with a relatively normal voice and some relatively normal compositions, but with a surprising amount of passion for her delivery. The sound is almost ridiculously optimistic the followyourdreams content that makes up so much Disney pop. Between the bouts with optimistic balladry though, Bassingthwaighte is all bombast, with massive chorus parts interspersed among the softer, more lilting bits. When she gets into the electronic beats of Alive, she's into pure Hillary Duff territory. The music never really breaks away from straightforward, highenergy and highmelodrama vocal pop, and indeed Bassingthwaighte never really stretches beyond the almostcannedpassion that comes to so many songbirds singing others' com...positions. Fans of the genre should enjoy 1000 Stars greatly, as it's a great example of the form. Those who normally shy away from teen pop should presumably also shy away from this one. - Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide Read more Less