There is some frustration that is always present with this one. Why do some elements go so right with the Kylie machine and others can turn so wrong? Is she kept bound by producers and schedules, or are her ideas dragging things down… There are some examples of perhaps more of the latter on this album – and please note – anyone been taken aback more than once by some of the outfits she has come out in when left to her own? And in terms of commerce and Kept-Kylie, for some reason or another left on the cutting room floor of previous album ‘X’ are collaborations with: Daft Punk, Goldfrapp, Mylo, Boy George…
No but stop it, with Aphrodite we get a good overall vision- a clearer theme, a great executive producer, Stuart Price that is keeping filler at bay and Kylie is more confident through PR being done quite well this time around. Remember ‘All I See’ which for some reason she took to America and sang on Dancing With the Stars wearing chains?
My final mark is fairly high don’t get me wrong, but you get the feeling Price’s fight with that filler could be Mighty with Aphrodite.
All The Lovers
Perfect lyrics and production by Kish Mauve (X collaborators and hander-over-ers of singles such as Two Hearts) with extra production by Stuart Price. This feels like a winning pop combination and definitely sets the benchmark for her dance-pop-with-emotion direction. Lyrics match the overall Greek mythology theme and we get a sense of beauty. The video however, looks strikingly similar to an advertisement.
Get Outta My Way
Mainly written and produced by Danish born Cutfather, who has produced lukewarm album tracks for pop acts such as B*Witched, Pete Andre…Blue… Anyway, has proven moderately successful at times, but was at helm of Kylie’s ‘All I See’ as mentioned… Here though, we can pretend she’s addressing love-rats past and I’d go as far to say a serviceable next single, a little drowned out by re-heated pop beats, but better stuff to come don’t you think?
Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)
Should have been single 2 with a bang, also tweaked to sub-title (If You Feel Loved) aka by Kylie herself as we dance underneath her variable explosions of fireworks and confetti. I think I can hear a confetti canon. Production via new hot-ticket Starsmith and Price.
Closer
Stuart Prices’ gift to the album. Interestingly, the only track he solely wrote and produced- two more tracks ‘Illusion’ and ‘Looking For An Angel’ Kylie is onboard for writing and they are both significantly weaker. Album would be much less without this track that pulsates and menaces also mixing breathy sweet vocals. Another darker, obsessive track like this would have bumped this album up to a 9 for me. But more subversive, ambient well-produced dance doesn’t work for Kylie, Can’t Get You Outta My Head and Confide In Me are no-ones favourites are they???
Everything Is Beautiful
The Keane song and I like it. The R&B-pop Kylie should be involved with, I took notice of Kean’s single Spiralling and I’d say Kylie did too, so they are here with a good track some people may find needs more of a dance-beat. However, with lyrics like ‘Pulling The Rip-Cord I Dive’ and ‘If I Lie With You Long Enough I Can See The Things I’m Dreaming Of’ and the ethos of making surroundings beautiful, brings a slight but welcome departure from the steadfast lines of closing track ‘Can’t Beat The Feeling’.
Aphrodite
Written and produced by two up-and-coming Brit singer/songwriters and with Price overlooking- a great stomping track with self important lyrics spaced out nicely within slick production. I like this one. I would of said, and predict wrapping 3rd single up with the title track.
Illusion
Can see some Price-Production emerging in some of the soundscapes here but essentially for me a bit of a forgettable one… So the g-o with Kylie’s own lyrics these days?? Remember ‘Too Far’ from Impossible Princess? Written in whole by Minogue and in comparison to this track, is now intense beyond belief. Me thinks she thinks there has been irreversible exposure that didn’t sell and it may still have a sting. Not as bad as the filler on ‘X’ though.
Better Than Today
Same duo behind track Aphrodite, doesn’t hit the same strides and sounding remarkably like this is the one that Jake Shears has touched (that’s the next one). We heard it on her US tour, got a bit frightful it was too light, Price seemed to have synthed it up a bit.
Too Much
Written By Kylie and Calvin Harris and Shears, produced by the latter two. On first listen thought it on the lite-side, but has become a real grower with snappy lyrics and dance-funk 90s key sound beats. Liking the camp/dramatic implication that all the love she has sung about is overwhelming. Sits well in the pop pocket for me.
Cupid Boy
Club banger with Swedish Music House and Price, has Kylie getting back into the Americana vibe too with lyrics such as ‘Hittin’ me Up’ ‘We’ve Got It All Sewn Up’ and definitely has a David Guetta, big house vibe. Will go down well at G.A.Y and I’m liking its thunderous ambition.
Looking For An Angel
The nice Angel theme, high vocal, repetitive light track. Price stops it from becoming total filler as it would have otherwise, by incorporating a stuck-on-a-loop effect and as the next final track demonstrates also, the track around half-way through gets broken down nicely by the producer.
Can’t Beat The Feeling
Serviceable, and as mentioned about 2.5 minutes in is elevated to become a real (Stuart Price’s band) Zoot Woman sounding track. The initial set-up sticks in the mind and doesn’t lift it out of the ballpark though. With a team working on this track who have churned out hits for Ladyhawke, who Kylie has stated she also had her eye on. A Xenomania track ‘Might Rivers’ now features as the closer on the iTunes deluxe edition, which on paper is of course a great match, it has some nice lyrics and feel but can see a case for the cut and use for marketing purposes only. So in the end Aphrodite closes, goes back into the sea a little limper than she arrived but having sung out some great tunes.
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