Kylie Minogue

Fever

Capitol

It’s hard to deny that there are some great musicians coming out of the British club scene right now. Australian Kylie Minogue is not one of them. Although the single “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” has been bopping up the dance charts, Kylie’s new album, Fever, is unlikely to do much for her reputation.

While “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” is admittedly infectious, your toes stop tapping pretty swiftly after the fifth song with the exact same electronic pulse. Kylie’s voice, so thin and reedy that it makes Britney Spears sound full-throated, is completely overpowered by the pulsing electronica. Even when her voice can be picked out of the beeps and blips, lyrics such as “There ain’t a surgeon like you any place in all the world/ So now, shall I remove my clothes?” will make you wish you had not taken the trouble to listen that closely.

The majority of the songs on the album were obviously intended to become dance anthems in the vibrant London club scene. The album wavers between the campy ’70s disco groove of “More, More, More,” the grittier, early ’80s club sound of “Love at First Sight,” and the edgier, more modern sound found on the title track “Fever.” One of the more interesting turns on this album comes when Kylie attempts to prove her validity as an artist on the track “Burning Up.” The song begins with the interesting concept of combining folksy acoustic sound and lyrics, before getting swqmped in a pulsing, electronic chorus. The song ends up sounding like a derivative of Sheryl Crowe’s “Santa Monica Boulevard” distinguished only by Kylie’s generic techno chorus. While Fever certainly has its share of potential club hits, two aspirin and a good night’s sleep would make it all better.

—Emily Porter

The Chemical Brothers

Come With Us

Astralwerks

The new Chemical Brothers album Come With Us is an invitation to jump on board this frenetically-paced breakbeat juggernaut. Rip it out of the plastic, stick it in the CD player. Bounce around the room. The album opens strongly and with no hesitation or introduction the fat electronic beats begin.