Search - Melanie Garside :: Fossil

A brilliant, rich pop treasure trove.

D. Mok | Los Angeles, CA | 02/06/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had never seen this album in North America -- I picked mine up in Hong Kong, of all places -- and all I can say is that we are missing out.Fossil opens up in big-hearted fashion with "Big White Room", glistening acoustic guitar strums with lively beats backing Garside's girlish yet versatile voice. Don't dismiss her singing based on her more saccharine performances -- she has impressive range, going from a sultry low end to a soaring, anthemic high when she so chooses. And the songwriting is just terrific -- "Stay"'s guitar line is instantly catchy, as is the cruising, classic-car-radio chorus; "Broken Fingers" has another instant-classic chorus backed with quirky lyrics and an infectious sound born of fleet-footed rhythms and delicious guitar tones; "Has and to Do" shows Garside's balladic potential -- when she soars into the multi-part harmonies, the effect is almost Spectoresque in drama and intensity.This disc didn't leave my player for months after I'd first bought it, and I'm pleasantly surprised to see it's still in print. Avail yourself of an unsung '90s pop classic. Fossil is what Natalie Imbruglia should have been -- sexy, catchy pop-rock with muscle."