Having unsuccessfully gone for the street cred vote with her last LP 'Kylie Minogue' (aka 'Impossible Princess') -which featured collaborations with the Manic Street Preachers, Brothers In Rhythm and Soft Cell's Dave Ball- miss Minogue goes into supersexy, wilfully kitsch'n'camp overdrive on 'Light Years'.
Just look at that sleeve artwork! Leaves very little to the imagination young lady! Just like your recent hot pant friendly videos. Go to your room and put some clothes on! This is someone unashamedly playing their 'never mind the book, have a gander at the cover' card.
'Light Years' meanwhile is a polished, well-produced yet largely undemanding collection of disco, Hi-NRG, Ibizan trance, funk, Sixties film and TV themes and Latin-flavoured tunes which like the Minogue minx's attire leaves very little to the imagination.
'So Now Goodbye' is pure Earth Wind & Fire pastiche; 'Your Disco Needs You' -one of three here co-written with Robbie Williams- is Village People-meets-Gloria Gaynor, complete with Kylie's unconvincing spoken word French bits and 'Please Stay' is a flamenco-flavoured piece of forgettable froth.
'Loveboat' -another one with Williams- is a very naff disco tune indeed, piano/string ballad 'Bittersweet Goodbye' is a strange concoction of part Olivia Newton John, part Kate Bush and part Cocteau Twins, while the closing title track apes Donna Summer's 'I Feel Love' while Kylie pretends to be an air hostess - no sorry, purser- on a KM Air flight.
It's not all cringeworthy pap though. Recent single 'Spinning Around' is a slinky little number, 'Koochachoo' -the best track here- is a cool slice of Sixties-tinged jazzy-organned, 'Blow-Up' friendly pop, 'Under The Influence Of Love' is a passable cover of the Barry White & The Love Unlimited Orchestra's track and the duet 'Kids' -again a Williams collaboration which also features on his album- is a low down and dirty funk groove with a euphoric chorus.
Not all bad news then in the Kylie erm camp. You just get the feeling that if those concerned put as much effort into the songwriting as they did into the glossy album sleeve photo shoot things might have been a whole lot better.
Mind you, rumour has it that copies of the saucy sleeve are changing hands for up to five sherbert dips and ten Pokemon cards in playgrounds up and down the country.
