Natalie Imbruglia
Counting Down the Days

THE REVIEW

Counting Down the Days is the third album by Natalie Imbruglia.
It's been 4 long years since the release of White Lilies Island and, Counting Down the Days, took 3 years of work.

Counting Down the Days is a decidedly homogeneous work, composed of both cheerful songs and sad, melancholic ballads.
Natalie's talent for writing and composing songs (together with the producers), combined with her great vocal expression, makes the album pleasant to listen to. Natalie co-wrote and co-produced 10 of the 12 tracks on the album, including the first famous single Shiver, released on March 21, 2005.

Counting Down The Days is the long artistic journey that Natalie undertook during the wait to finish the work to return to her husband, Daniel Johns (ex-husband). The title track speaks of nostalgia for her husband and homesickness; it tells us what it feels like when you love someone and they are on the other side of the world and you count the days waiting for the end of this suffering.

The countdown begins precisely with Starting Today; where Natalie's sweet voice blends with an acoustic guitar that acts as a background to the entire track. Excellent opening for a concept album like Counting Down the Days. It continues with Shiver and Satisfied. Shiver, which we all know, immediately gets stuck in your head thanks to that typically pop chorus and Natalie's clear voice that resonates in your mind.
Finally, the title track Counting Down the Days arrives, a magnificently produced song with a distinctly fresh and romantic listening experience. The most interesting part is certainly the second verse, where the sound of a cello is paired with strange distortions that resemble a whale's song. Rushing towards the end, you are glued to two completely different tracks: When You're Sleeping and Honeycomb Child. The first mixes strings and guitar, resulting in one of the best tracks on the album. The closure of Honeycomb Child can leave one very perplexed, with a very melancholic, sad, and anxious composition that completely detaches from what the album has been in its previous 11 tracks. A music box serves as background for all 4 minutes of the song while electronic beats and the echo of Natalie's voice create that hypnotic farewell effect.

Natalie has grown as an artist. Her confidence has increased, and this is what makes Counting Down the Days a product of mature pop.

1. "Starting Today"
2. "Shiver"
3. "Satisfied"
4. "Counting Down the Days"
5. "I Won't Be Lost"
6. "Slow Down"
7. "Sanctuary"
8. "Perfectly"
9. "On the Run"
10. "Come on Home"
11. "When You're Sleeping"
12. "Honeycomb Child"

Small off topic:
Only two singles were extracted from the album, due to the lack of professionalism of Brightside Recordings which stopped promoting the album less than 5 months after its release, even though the album reached number one on the UK charts and sold 800,000 copies worldwide.