Album Review: Kirsty Bertarelli – Indigo Shores
2 min read
Recognised more for her status as one of the wealthiest women in Britain than for her musical endeavours, singer-songwriter, and former Miss World contestant, Kirsty Bertarelli has released her second studio album Indigo Shores. No stranger to success in the music industry, Kirsty has previously worked with artists such as Ronan Keating and with All Saints on their number one hit Black Coffee. With Indigo Shores, however, Kirsty embarks on a more personal journey peppered with moments and memories that are universally relatable.
The album opens with There She Goes, a track that epitomises Kirsty’s style – echoes of classic pop deeply enveloped by a typically country sound. Baby Where Do You Run To gives her a chance to show off her strong range and surprisingly focused voice in its towering chorus. She explores a tougher rock-influenced sound in tracks such as Wildflower and These Walls, tackling themes of heartbreak and society’s obsession with eternal youth and beauty.
Unfortunately, from the clichéd lyrics, unimaginative melody and formulaic key change, Disappeared, the album’s lead single, feels like a track I’ve heard a thousand times before. Kirsty has a knack for quite effective, systematic pop song writing that unfortunately becomes far too tedious in tracks like Disappeared and All Dressed Up.
Musically there’s nothing wrong with the album as a whole, Kirsty proves she’s a capable pop songwriter. She’s got a well-practiced voice that has unexpected strong moments, a diverse dynamic range that is delivered honestly and emotionally. What lets her down, however, are her lyrics. The uninspired, humdrum text, which might appeal to universal truths and themes, has no real, storytelling quality. Kirsty’s delivery is unpretentious and as sincere as it can be, singing lyrics like “This world is ours, but I will catch you if the sky falls” and “Bathe me in your light / Save me from myself and all I am”.
While the album becomes a bit pedestrian, it does include some pop-country gems. Meet You in Mexico and Beg, Steal or Borrow are the two standouts for me. Their words expand Kirsty’s monotonous lyrical repertoire, telling more of an interesting story, which is brimming with nostalgia that embraces shared experiences and emotions, and that is Kirsty’s strength as a songwriter.
