Music Review: Natasha Bedingfield

01/24/2008 3:00 PM, AP
Nekesa Mumbi Moody

Natasha Bedingfield, "Pocketful of Sunshine" (Epic)

Natasha Bedingfield's second U.S. disc is called "Pocketful of Sunshine," and it is filled with enough cheer to fill a week's worth of "Rachael Ray" episodes.

There's "Happy," which speaks to keeping your head up even when life is falling down around you; "Freckles," an India.Arie-type song about embracing ones perceived flaws; "Angel," on which she vows to stand by her wonderful man; and the first single, "Love Like This," featuring Sean Kingston, on which she revels in finding a perfect love.

The songs, with their breezy, melodic tone, soaring choruses and layered vocals, recall her breakout hit "Unwritten," the title track to her 2005 U.S. debut. The joyous anthem about embracing dreams and realizing the hope of the future became a feel-good musical mantra and a ubiquitous hit; it's understandable that she is trying to recapture that magic on "Pocketful of Sunshine."

The problem is, the magic that made "Unwritten" so wonderful was not just its message but its great melody and arrangement. Too often on "Pocketful," neither the message nor the music match the high standard that "Unwritten" set.

A few come close, like the sweet, bouncy "Love Like This," or the sexy groove "Who Knows," and "Put Your Arms Around Me," a rousing, — and yes, anthemic — song about enduring love. But others sound like a generic mix of pop and R&B, such as the unremarkable "Angel," or the disappointing title track.

"Unwritten" established Bedingfield as a strong musical voice with her own identity. Unfortunately, on "Pocket Full of Sunshine," she loses it — and becomes just another in the crowd.

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CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: "Put Your Arms Around Me" is a great album kickoff, and may be the album's best track — an effervescent, irresistible ode to love.