HOLLY COLE
Romantically Helpless (Alert)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

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Holly Cole is the diva tease of the decade. On each and every one of her releases, she manages to pull off a couple of classic steamy, smoky, jazzy numbers, before spiralling into pop fluff, trying to flush out the rest of the CD. As usual, Cole starts off on the right foot with a sensuous version of "One Trick Pony" that should make Paul Simon flip his wig. A meaty bass line, precious piano tinkling and a sexy Hammond organ provide the cabaret setting Cole requires for her vampy escapade. But just as quickly as she established this soft, blue, jazz spectrum, Cole destroys it with a campy, Burt Bacharach style romp through "Romantically Helpless". Shame, for there are other fine moments here ("That Old Black Magic", "Dedicated to the One I Love", "Don't Fence Me In"). In need of editing down to a superb EP, "Romantically Helpless" provides more fodder for that dynamite "best of" collection which will make all her previous albums quite redundant.

© 2000 - John Sekerka