For a while, it looked like it was over, when everyone's favourite post-soap popster turned her back on the cheese, and attempted to get serious. This period's few highlights involved a couple of good tunes, and Nick Cave hitting her on the head with a rock. But by 2000, with kitschy delight and tighter clothing, Kylie was in full-on Back! BackBack! mode with her first chart-topper for a decade ('Spinning Around'), and her most gloriously pop album ever ('Light Years').
Whereas that album was a none-more-camp romp, 'Fever' settles down into a sexier groove-oriented direction, and is by far Kylie's best album to date. The irony here is when she did try to 'go dance' originally, she hooked up with dance label Deconstruction and flailed adrift in handbag cast-offs, whereas the best and most memorable parts here are written by early 90s popstrel Cathy Dennis and onetime member of Mud, Rob Davis. It is they who co-wrote the class slinky-minimalist genius 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head', essentially re-write it again on 'Come Into My World', as well as the glossy 'Fragile' and the very Dennis sounding 'Dancefloor'.
Elsewhere filterin' house is the order of the day with the storming Modjo-flavoured 'Love At First Sight', the disco hustle of 'More, More, More' and 'In Your Eyes' which cheekily references comeback hit 'Spinning Around'. Moments where it isn't all funky come in the form of the title track, which sounds like a Samantha Mumba cast-off and the bloopy wobbles of 'Give It To Me', which fail to cover over the deficit of a tune.
Of course, those looking for some angst, pain or tattoos won't like it here, but as a soundtrack for getting ready to go out, or even preparing to stay in, 'Fever' is ace boogie-pop fun. Play it, get drunk, snog your mate and smile.
