Ness Ness Is Back On Track... Kind Of

I'm angry at Vanessa Amorosi. After a seven year gap between top 20 hits, Ness staged one of the decade's most unlikely comebacks in 2007 and has been on a roll ever since. It's been a treat to witness her career revival but the perennial underdog of Australian pop took ten steps back with "Gossip". As a card-carrying fan since 1999, I've supported Vanessa through some bad decisions - her unconvincing R&B phase springs to mind - but I can't find a single kind word to say about the lead single from her fifth album. And neither, it seems, could anyone else given the track's abysmal chart run. The only saving grace of the whole debacle was the much appreciated physical single.

So what's a down-on-her-luck diva to do next? Go into major damage control by releasing a virtual remake of her 2008 smash "Perfect". It's hard not to be disappointed by "Amazing" (below). It's so safe and predictable. Is this the same woman who sang about dating a meth addict and the joys of masturbation on "Hazardous"? But despite those misgivings, the track has grown on me. A lot. Vanessa's status as the country's best singer is undisputed - at least until Tina Arena comes back from France - and the sweeping chorus lets her unleash those powerhouse pipes. "Amazing" doesn't quite live up to its title but it is very nice. For her sake, I hope it's massive.