Kate Miller-Heidke: Little Eve (CD/DVD)

How much Kate Miller-Heidke is too much?

Editorial Review

Release date: 28 March 2008 (Sony)
The penchant for oversized party dresses, the blunt fringe, those random bursts of opera that permeate her music: that Kate Miller-Heidke is, like, totally random! Diplomatically speaking, Miller-Heidke is an acquired taste. Her songs largely fall into one of two categories: the desperately quirky or the forget-ably earnest. When she ramps up the quirk, as on single Words - all cartoon melodies and hiccupping, cutesy vocals - she comes on like Gwen Stefani without the charisma or pop nous. When she calms down, as on Thanks For Today and fan favourite Space They Cannot Touch, she just sounds dull.

Admittedly, there are a few enjoyable songs here. Make It Last is a sweet sing-along, while Mama is the only time she hangs up her affectations and busts out a killer pop song. But it's hard to remain positive about an album that contains a song by the name of Ducks Don't Need Satellites (spare me).

Little Eve was originally released, to moderate success, late last year. This re-issue of the album comes with a bonus DVD, featuring the videos for her two singles, and a Live at the Chapel performance. Be warned: if you were previously sitting on the Miller-Heidke fence, the DVD will tip you one way or the other. Dancing with lampshades, rock-opera covers of You're The Voice, comedy songs lampooning Australian Idol, more oversized party dresses than you can fit in an op-shop: it's all here. You have been warned.

Tracks:
1. I Got the Way
2. Make It Last
3. Words
4. Delay
5. Mama
6. Space They Cannot Touch
7. Shoebox
8. Don't Let Go
9. Little Adam
10. Ducks Don't Need Satellites
11. Thanks For Today
12. Bored With Me

Nick Bond, April 2008