After a hiatus from the music business and only scattered minor appearances, Australian teen pop star Vanessa Amorosi skyrockets back onto the music scene with her infectious new album, Somewhere in the Real World. Amorosi's impressive vocal range and sexy Anastacia-esque tone carry her to new heights on this versatile, accessible album of slick pop tracks and cooing ballads. From the opening high-octane track "Start It," Amorosi kicks the album into high gear with unimaginably impressive vocals. This caliber of singing is supported by grade-A spunky lyrics (especially on "I Thought We'd Stay Together") and allows Amorosi to sparkle as an upbeat, funky pop singer. On "Kiss Your Mama!," Amorosi meticulously matches her fiery vocals with razor-sharp lyrical support, assuming the position of a pop dominatrix in one of few cases where pure pop music features flawless singing. However, the album is even more successful in that its ballads, which are not in short supply, are gentle and poignant. While Amorosi's weaknesses as a singer are exposed on a track like "Perfect," her vulnerabilities as an artist blossom. The album boasts beyond-impressive maturity for a singer/songwriter of such a young age, and Somewhere in the Real World picks up from where her first major album, The Power, left off, establishing a pop star whose grace and maturity reflect dollops of potential. This is a truly impeccable album in terms of balancing credibility, poise, maturity, and all the other things that glorify a true pop artist. ~ Matthew Chisling, All Music Guide
Rob Wells (Programming), David Kopp (Keyboards), David Tyson (Vocals (Background)), David Wipper (Guitar (Acoustic)), Ron Aniello (Vocals (Background)), Clif Magness (Guitar), Clif Magness (Keyboards), Amy Keys (Vocals (Background)), John Salerno (Drums), Dan Higgins (Horn), Matt Chamberlain (Drums), Josh Freese (Drums), Vanessa Amorosi (Vocals (Background)), Oliver Leiber (Guitar), David Tyson (Producer), Jorge Vivo (Engineer), Bob Clearmountain (Drum Engineering), David Tyson (Guitar), Larry Eagle (Drums), Darryl Leonard (Trumpet), Clif Magness (Engineer), Clif Magness (Bass), David Tyson (String Arrangements), Eddie Jackson (Engineer), Arnold McCuller (Vocals (Background)), Clif Magness (Producer), David Tyson (Programming), Ron Aniello (Vocals), Ron Aniello (Percussion), Ron Aniello (Engineer), Shanti Randall (Viola), Steve Scanlon (Mixing), Ron Aniello (Keyboards), Eric J. Hosler (Violin), Toby Scott (Engineer), Victor Lawrence (Cello), Chris Lord-Alge (Mixing), David Tyson (Keyboards), Ron Aniello (Bass), Ron Aniello (Producer), Jerry Hey (Horn), Ron Aniello (Guitar), Samuel Formicola (Violin), Clif Magness (Programming), Vanessa Amorosi (Vocals), Ron Aniello (Programming)
