After a massive rise to stardom, a mild decline in recognition, and a comeback fueled by semi-celebrity television contests, songstress
Kate Ceberano began mixing covers heavily into her releases, starting with 19 Days in New York, moving through
Nine Lime Avenue, and culminating with
So Much Beauty, a set of covers of modern tracks. The songs themselves are generally good picks, encapsulating the mid- to late 2000s. However,
Ceberano treats the songs with a bit too much simplicity, never adding herself to the songs as much as casually laying down the necessary tracks to complete them. She's got a nice voice, but the pieces come out flatly.
The Pretenders' "I'll Stand by You" is taken in its
Carrie Underwood format and then casually left on the figurative pavement.
Maroon 5's "She Will Be Loved" is treated tepidly -- a very slight Brazilian beat is added into the mix, but
Ceberano's vocals remove nearly all signs of emotion. Even
KT Tunstall's "Suddenly I See" is made somehow less threatening, less exciting. There is a brief bright note on the album -- just as it closes, unfortunately. A rendition of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is done in tandem with a nice slack key backing, and
Ceberano's actual abilities briefly come out and make for an interesting sound. If only that had come earlier in the album. ~ Adam Greenberg