Those of you who reckoned the demise of the Spice Girls was consequently the demise of that great contrivance of uber-femininity also known as Girl Power, think again. Pink's debut single There You Go way back in 2000 was a kick in the delicate area to any mutha who'd dare try to mess with her. So what happened to the artist formerly known as Alecia Moore? A brace of subsequent successful albums, a Grammy for her part in Lady Marmalade, then a flop with 2003's Try This, that's what. Perhaps then, the title of her fourth, I'm Not Dead is more of a call for the return of her mislaid prestige than an attestation of her persisting heartbeat. Lead single Stupid Girls is a fantastic start; a clever, satirical pop song on the vacuity of celebrity and modern society with a lingering Latino/r 'n' b vibe. Unfortunately, this sassy, gutsy Pink we know and love only makes desultory appearances here. Long Way to Happy is a Kelly Clarkson fan's dream; subdued verse, big chorus and lavish production, and is unquestionably enjoyable; but in what's either a brave attempt at diversity or a misjudgement of programming, it's followed by a Celine Dion rip-off (Nobody Knows) and a sickly open-letter-to-Dubya-cum-protest song (Dear Mr. President) on which she's joined by country crooners the Indigo Girls. There are some real gems here - I Got Money Now, Fingers and U + Ur Hand are all funky, brassy affairs and perfect platforms for that husky, soulful, attitude-laden voice. Where Pink's star ascends, however, is on the disappointingly average pop-rock-by-numbers tracks, of which there are far too many here (I'm Not Dead, Runaway).She even turns her hand to mellow acoustica (The One That Got Away) and on I've Seen the Rain duets with her Vietnam vet father; both of which would make acceptable b-sides, but not album tracks. Certainly, Pink should be applauded for attempting to broaden her musical palate, but unfortunately the overriding impression of I'm Not Dead is one of a hotchpotch, disjointed effort. Two old adages spring to mind; 'Stick to what you know best' - and perhaps more accurately, 'When she was good, she was very, very good, and when she was bad..'
