It's fitting that there's a track on this album called Daylight Robbery. For this, her second album following debut 'Overcome' (2010), Burke has simply pilfered from a variety of pop sources to create fourteen tracks of identikit rubbish. And as executive producer with an "unreal" amount of control, she only has herself to blame.
Burke storms in with the title track in a blaze of synths and auto-tuned vocals that sets the tone of 'Heartbreak On Hold', through current single Let It Go and beyond. Pop-house is the order of the day with a series of tracks that are barely indistinguishable, unashamedly following David Guetta's musical template. Previous single Elephant is pure 90s house, whilst Oh La La steals the "la da dee la da da" from Crystal Waters' Gypsy Woman of 1991. The opening of Sitting On Top Of The World is practically ripped from Robyn's With Every Heartbeat, whilst the strings of This Love Will Survive could easily be from The Wanted's All Time Low. And Love You That Much is clearly in Kylie/Jessie J europop mode, even if it is catchy as hell. What Money Can't Buy stands out as the only ballad, proving (at last) that Burke is a perfectly capable singer without the need for robotics. It's the sort of schmaltz Alicia Keys would be proud of.
Lyrically, this is equally vapid, as Burke puts her "heartbreak on hold" in order to get laid on the dancefloor. There's also plenty of obligatory innuendo, like Oh La La's "there's a chance for romance if you rise to the occasion". Then again, the chorus of Between The Sheets - "the only thing between us should be the sheets" - defeats the point. Surely skin to skin would be more beneficial?
Yes, there's some infectious pop stuff here. But that awkward elephant will be having a field day when Burke's lack of originality bites her in the ass.
2/5
Gizzle's Choice:
* Let It Go
* Love You That Much
Listen: 'Heartbreak On Hold' is available now.
Watch: Burke will be performing at a number of pop festivals across the summer.
