It seemed that no-one really had much time left for Vanessa Amorosi after the absolute overkill of Absolutely Everybody (Nikki Webster is going through the same thing right now).

But who'd have predicted that Vanessa would whip out a secret weapon the size of Perfect? The good news is that the album doesn't suck either. Vanessa funks like a swamp dweller on A Little Love, channels Beyonce on I Thought We'd Stay Together and even pinches a bit of (good) Avril for Start It.

by SHANE COOPER

Vanessa Amorosi
Somewhere In The Real World
(Universal)