Natalie Imbruglia is one of the few who have managed to successfully pivot from a soap to a long-lasting music career. After playing Beth Brennan in Australian soap for 253 episodes between 1992 to 1994, Imbruglia left the show and moved to London to pursue a music career. 1997 saw the release of her debut single ‘Torn’, which made her a global star and catapulted her into the spotlight as a singer. Since then, Imbruglia has released 6 studio albums, still kept one foot in acting, and more than proven herself as a live artist. Her new album, ‘London – Live’, is Imbruglia’s first live record and it captures a performance from London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire in 2022.
‘London – Live’ captures one of the dates from Imbruglia’s ‘Left of the Middle 25th Anniversary Tour’, spreading much of that record throughout the setlist. Over the course of the 18 tracks, Imbruglia slots in other hits from her career and songs from her most recent album ‘Firebird’. Opening the set with ‘What It Feels Like’, from ‘Firebird’, Imbruglia is one fine vocal form with her distinctive tone remaining consistent throughout the record. It’s not until the third song though that Imbruglia dips into ‘Left of the Middle’, with the still catchy-as-hell ‘Wishing I Was There’.
Highlights from the ‘Left of the Middle’ era include the atmospheric ballad ‘Smoke’, the grunge-leaning ‘One More Addiction’, and of course the iconic hit ‘Torn’. A surprise during the set-list though is Imbruglia’s gorgeous rendition of ‘Left of the Middle’, which follows shortly after her electric performance of hit single ‘Big Mistake’.
Elsewhere on the record, Imbruglia gives a tour-de-force performance of her monster smash ‘Shiver’ from 2005’s ‘Counting Down the Days’, revisits her under-rated second album ‘White Lilies Island’ from 2001 with the pop anthem ‘Wrong Impression’ and spotlights ‘Firebird’ with the uplifting ‘Build It Better’.
‘London – Live’ is a perfect keepsake for anyone who went to the show and anyone who hasn’t had the chance to experience Imbruglia lie yet. The set-list is packed with so many great songs and it’s a timely reminder of just what a musical force she is. Regardless of which era of Imbruglia’s career you like, there’s something for everyone. Our only complaint is that we’d rather Imbruglia had appeared on the cover rather than the blue and red design she opted for!
Track listing: 1. What It Feels Like 2. Wrong Impression 3. Wishing I Was There 4. Nothing Missing 5. Shiver 6. City 7. Smoke 8. Pigeons & Crumbs 9. Firebird 10. One More Addiction 11. Leave Me Alone 12. Impressed 13. Just Like Old Times 14. Big Mistake 15. Torn 16. Left of the Middle 17. Build It Better 18. Something Better Released by: Demon / Edsel Release date: 22nd November 2024 Buy ‘London – Live’ now
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