Inspired by a sabbatical in sunny California, the Canadian diva has crafted a varied disc that skitters from the Joni Mitchell-styled "The Consequences Of Falling" (the only tune Lang didn't write) to quirky and sophisticated alt-pop numbers like the infectious "It's Happening To You."
"Summerfling," perhaps the disc's most ambitious cut (and the one Lang says "gets to the heart" of what she was trying to express), has an airy, bouncy, almost bubblegum feel that sets the imagery of a carefree "encounter" ("early morning, mid-July/anticipation making me high") against an over-the-top track. The combination of cliched string flourishes, a Turtles-styled a capella break and despicably upbeat tone make this a tune you'll either love or hate.
More palatable are tunes like "Suddenly," a lazy, mid-tempo song with a Burt Bacharach trumpet line that lets her voice languish on notes and phrases (at which she excels), the self-explanatory "Extraordinary Thing," and the sensual "Love's Great Ocean," all of which feel less forced and noticeably more comfortable. Longtime Lang fans--always willing to indulge and support her whims--will also find the last few tunes well worth the wait.
All recordings courtesy of Warner Bros. ΓÇ£The Consequences Of FallingΓÇ¥ written by B. Steinberg, R. Nowels, M. C. D'Ubaldo; courtesy of Jerk Awake/EMI April Music, Inc./Future Funiture Music (ASCAP)/Hidden Pun Music, administered by EMI Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI). ΓÇ£SummerflingΓÇ¥ written by K. D. Lang, Piltch; courtesy of Universal-Songs Of PolyGram International, Inc./Pulling Teeth Music (BMI)/Thumb Print Music (SOCAN). ΓÇ£Extraordinary ThingΓÇ¥ written by K. D. Lang, Laboriel Jr.; courtesy of Universal-Songs of PolyGram International, Inc./Pulling Teeth Music (BMI)/Lance Sprinkle Music (ASCAP).
