KATIE MELUA

The House

[Dramatico]

Katie Melua has become a U.K. sensation, but stateside success has escaped her grasp so far. Her latest disc might just gain her the foothold she’s been seeking. Produced by techno-pop wizard William Orbit, The House boasts a Dido-flavored feel perfectly suited to Melua’s chanteuse-y approach. “I’d Love to Kill You,” the opening track, sets the tone, as Melua’s old-school pop voice is framed in a lovely coffeehouse setting. Other high points include “Red Balloons,” a poignant, lightly orchestrated love song wrapped in a dirge-like tempo; “Plague of Love,” a sassy pop-rocker that sounds like Enya with backbone; and “The Flood,” an ambitious song that begins as a stately ballad, shifts into pulsing dance-pop overdrive, then ratchets down for a dramatic conclusion. On the darkly rendered “God on Drums, Devil on the Bass,” Melua even ventures toward PJ Harvey territory. She doesn’t quite get there, but it’s a welcome indication that she’s embracing new challenges. –RH

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