Delta Goodrem came out of the gates swinging with her debut album ‘Innocent Eyes’, scoring huge sales and five number ones in her native Australia, as well as making an impact in plenty of markets around the world. Following a battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2003, just months after the release of her album, Goodrem announced she was in remission and she resumed her music career and her role in ‘Neighbours’. Working with primarily with Guy Chambers (Robbie Williams), Goodrem recorded her second album ‘Mistaken Identity’, a record that was a lot darker and more personal than her first.
Inspired mostly by her battle with cancer, Goodrem pushed her music and her lyrics into new territory on ‘Mistaken Identity’. Bolder, more intense and digging deeper than she had before, the album really captured her state of mind as she fought cancer and embarked on her journey of recovery. The album’s lead single ‘Out of the Blue’ scored her another number 1 in Australia and a Top 10 hit in the UK. Driven by classical piano, Goodrem sings about the support and love of someone that came into her life during her darkest moments. Taking the optimism that ran through ‘Innocent Eyes’, Goodrem added an emotional gut punch to the song as she reveals that she didn’t know whether she would make it through her health scare.
That bold fearlessness continues across the record. On ‘The Analyst’ Goodrem leans into a rockier sound as she reveals how she analysed everything that was going on in her life as she came to terms with her diagnosis, while on ‘Extraordinary Day’, she lets the listener in to how she felt the day she was diagnosed. On that song, there’s anger in the lyrics as Goodrem questions why it happened to her and she wonders how she’s going to get through it. It’s incredibly emotional, as is the record as a whole. On ‘Almost Here’ with Brian McFadden, one of the only songs that Goodrem didn’t have a hand in writing, Goodrem sings of a relationship that never quite works out. The recording of the song led to the pair dating for a number of years.
Unlike ‘Innocent Eyes’, ‘Mistaken Identity’ plays more like an album that tells a cohesive story with each song. The ups-and-downs of battling a life-threatening disease are captured well with songs such as the piano ballad ‘Be Strong’, a call for strength from Goodrem to herself, and the powerful pop/rock fusion of ‘Last Night on Earth’, which explores the fine line between life and death. ‘Fragile’ is one of the album’s rawest moments as Goodrem lets her fans in to her very private battle for her life. I remember hearing it back in 2004 for the first time and it still gives me goosebumps now.
The album isn’t all downtempo though. ‘Miscommunication’ has a more sensual feel with Goodrem singing in a more hushed way on the verses, ‘Sanctuary’ celebrates having someone to look out for you in your time of need, and ‘You Are My Rock’ is an ode to a partner who does the heavy-lifting when you need them to.
This limited-edition release is pressed onto 2-LP 180-gram translucent blue vinyl, with only 2000 individually numbered copies available. The gatefold release includes a double-sided insert with the album credits and song lyrics on. I should also point out that the album features the hidden bonus track ‘Nobody Listened’, which originally only featured on the Australian edition of the album.
There’s no denying that ‘Mistaken Identity’ is a heavier record than ‘Innocent Eyes’ was. The instrumentation is more complex and that’s even more evident on this fantastic new release from Music on Vinyl. You can really hear the intricacies of the arrangements and Goodrem’s voice is bright and clear throughout. ‘Mistaken Identity’ might not have reached the commercial highs of ‘Innocent Eyes’ but for Goodrem’s fans, it’s an album that’s integral to her catalogue. It’s her most personal record to date and it captures the struggle, and unexpected beauty, of a life-changing experience.
Track list: Side A – 1. Out of the Blue 2. The Analyst 3. Mistaken Identity 4. Extraordinary Day Side B – 1. A Little Too Late 2. Be Strong 3. Electric Storm 4. Almost Here (with Brian McFadden) Side C – 1. Miscommunication 2. Sanctuary 3. Last Night on Earth 4. Fragile Side D – 1. Disoriented 2. You Are My Rock Record label: Music on Vinyl Release date: 6th October 2023 Buy ‘Mistaken Identity’ now
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