Ever since the phenomenal success of Dido and Norah Jones, there's been a huge procession of female singer-songwriters who have photogenic looks and a Radio 2 friendly sound. Some of these are great (Rachael Yamagata, KT Tunstall), while some sink under the weight of their own blandness (Lucie Silvas and Katie Melua for instance).

Lisa Miskovsky, like Lucie Silvas before her, actually started as a songwriter before embarking on her own pop career. She wrote the Backstreet Boys hit Shape Of My Heart, she's won a Swedish Grammy and also played most of the instruments on this, her second album. So, there's obviously a fair amount of talent to go with those stunning Swedish looks.

It's a shame then that Falling Water is so unutterably bland. It's not bad as such - there's just no substance to any of the songs here. As each pleasantly inoffensive track rolls by, nothing makes much of an impression and you start to yearn for some sort of quirkiness, something just a bit different to make Ms Miskovsky stand out from the crowd.

The opening track, Lady Stardust, however is not so bad. In fact, it's rather good - reminiscent of Natalie Imbruglia at times, its breezy strummed guitar drives the song along nicely and it's catchy enough without being too annoying. It's at this point that you think that Miskovsky could well be a name to watch.

These thoughts are quickly banished however as the album creaks on. Tracks like You Dance Just Like Me, Midnight Sun and Take Me By The Hand are all polite, mid-paced ballads which could easily be a cure for insomnia. There are some nice touches throughout, such as the pretty piano line on Butterfly Man, but overall this is so dull it sounds like an album long collaboration between Dido and The Corrs.

As a former songwriter for hire, you'd expect Miskovsky's lyrics to at least be up to scratch. Instead, we're treated to trite phrases such as "love is like gold, you just have to dig deep", "my eyes cried a thousand tears" and even "I can't see, cause I'm blinded by the ocean that you once gave to me".

Apparently, Miskovsky's first, self-titled album (only available on import at the moment) showcases a more rocky side - she's apparently a fan of Tool, not that you'd know it from here. Until she starts to vary her sound and stop sounding like every other Dido-a-like out there, then there really isn't much of interest here.

share:  Facebook | Digg | del.icio.us | more

Mercury Prize 2009 nominees