Lead singer with London electronic pop outfit Frou Frou, Imogen Heap has taken three years to come up with the follow up to 2005's Speak For Yourself. It may be more mellow and tranquil than its predecessor, lacking the up-tempo, dance-worthy tracks that made it a cult hit, but it's definitely still worth the wait.
If Imogen's airy and utterly beautiful voice was all she had, Ellipse would still be an album worth listening to. As it happens, she has goods to back it up. Heap handles ambient electronics with grace and elegance, soft pop with delicacy and finesse, and sparse, buoyant numbers with eccentricity and class.
Wait It Out and Between The Sheets are sweet and serene, while the quirkily eerie Aha! comes across like part of one of Danny Elfman's film soundtracks. Meanwhile, the Spanish style guitar, bare piano and electronic soundscape of Canvas, and the mournful strings and disheartened harmonies of 2-1 are thoroughly absorbing.
Admittedly, the lyrics can come across a bit basic in places, and certain tracks may be a little taxing for the average musical palate, but on the whole, Ellipse is a imaginative and striking record.
