*** Natalie Imbruglia

LEFT OF THE MIDDLE

(RCA/BMG)

A newcomer from Australia, Imbruglia sings torchy Europop and actressy modern rock in a tiny soprano reminiscent of Toronto homegirl Alanis Morissette. But where Morissette sings about the ironies of material abundance in a life of romantic frustration, Imbruglia sings about the limited availability of romance and her desire to have it all the time. The soul and its desires are Imbruglia's focus; danceable beats underpin most of her songs. Thus she moves brightly through both the enigmatic fissures of "Big Mistake" and "Don't You Think?" and the dreamy, trouble-free Europop of "Impressed," "Torn," and "One More Addiction." And if this last title and the lyric details of "Leave Me Alone" and "Pigeons and Crumbs" all cast doubt on just how easy Imbruglia imagines romance to be, the childlike smoothness of her soprano amid the rough cuts of her guitar and synthesizer support promises that, where her heart's concerned, everything will be all right -- some day.

-- Michael Freedberg