Katie Melua-Pictures

Katie Melua returns to the charts this month with her third offering of coffee table jazz tinged, pop ballads, Pictures, writes James Walsh.

Fans of the Georgian born songstress are going to react to her latest effort in a similar fashion to how they would a spoon full of Marmite – they’ll either love it or hate it.

The album contains string laden arrangements, low register percussion and gently plucked guitars that scream of the production of long time collaborator, Mike Batt.  However, this is where the similarities end with her last two albums.

Her voice, although chillingly clear, lacks in emotion.  There is no vulnerability of Crazy or wails of pain as on Piece to Piece and for this the blame lies with the songs.

The banal lyrics do not move the audience and Katie herself seems bored throughout, the lackadaisical rhythm of the tracks refusing to allow her to stretch her vocal range.

Only three songs are worthy of any note.  What I Miss About You, Perfect Circle and Dirty Dice are structurally sound with changes that will wake the audience up from the slumber they are sure to have fallen into.

For an artist still developing, I feel Katie has taken a step backwards with Pictures.  The easy listening production is the highlight that die hard fans will love.  

However, with the lyrics as basic as they are, the songs cannot be channelled into the emotive works Melua has succeeded with in the past and many will be left disappointed.