Kylie Minogue: 'The Abbey Road Sessions' - Album review

It was the turning of 'I Should Be So Lucky' into a torch song for an Australian gig 12 years ago that initially inspired Kylie Minogue to reinterpret her glittering back catalogue of pop with the help of an orchestra. Of course she's had plenty of hits since then - most notably here with 'On A Night Light This', 'Love At First Sight' and 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head'; all of which have been stripped of their shimmer and allowed the lyrics to come to the fore.

That said, the most frivolous of her Pete Waterman years still make for the most interesting listening. Deep sadness has been unearthed on 'Never Too Late', while '50s swing in 'The Locomotion' and bluesy soul on 'Slow' are found where neon synths and dancefloor-tailored melodies once stood. Her re-teaming with Nick Cave on 'Where The Wild Roses Grow' is touching if not much different from the original, while new track 'Flower' serves as a pretty, big-band ballad that - like the whole record - shows a rarely-seen maturity in Kylie; and it suits her remarkably well.

Tracks to download: 'On A Night Like This', 'Never Too Late', 'Slow', 'Confide In Me'
If you like this, you'll like: George Michael, Elton John

Listen to a sampler of The Abbey Road Sessions below: