People take a look at her gorgeous body on the front cover and think that's all that could be there, but there is more to her than just that. The album's standout tracks are the catchy, beautifully saddening WRONG IMPRESSION (the only US single off the album), the showstopping DO YOU LOVE?, the simple but affecting HURRICANE and EVERYTHING GOES, the space-age poppy SATELLITE, SUNLIGHT, which is the perfect mixture of electronic pop and gripping lyrics that will makes you "feel the sunlight on your face, taste clouds, and touch space". Thanks to Natalie, we can all feel the sunlight on our face. Last but not least in importance are BEAUTY ON THE FIRE and THAT DAY, the former of which is an excellent single that will give you "sensory pleasure" while also making goosebumps go up your spine.

Anyone who is a fan of excellent, thought-provoking modern-day pop will love WHITE LILIES ISLAND. It is a different type of album than her first outing, 1998's LEFT OF THE MIDDLE (actually a different album period), but that doesn't mean it's not as good. They are both totally different albums, and yet, at the same time, the listener can easily tell Natalie is IN those lyrics, that she is not simply selling a CD. She is selling pure talent and excellent artistry. Isn't that what she should be selling?


A Fun, Interesting and Enjoyable Listen   March 6, 2002
Larry Diamond (Austin, TX USA)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

I had been reading the strong reviews of the import and listening and watching the Wrong Impression video on the internet and decided to buy the CD. I am very glad I did. There are many, many gems on this disc that go way beyond Wrong Impression in many areas.

Wrong Impression is a good pop song, I enjoy the tempo, singing, and lyrics. But songs like Hurricane, Talk in Tongues, and Goodbye are much stronger emotionally and vocally and have stronger guitar work. Goodbye in particular has an excellent build to a robust chorus with good guitar backing. Hurricane is one of the strongest vocal tracks and Natalie has a very strong and enjoyable voice. That Day has grown on me.

At first I thought Everything Goes was a weak track but I was wrong, and that is why I gave the CD a considered 5 stars, there are no weak tracks on this CD. Any CD that can go from Sunlight to Satellite is no small feat. Natalie maybe very beautiful but this CD has a lot of 'meat' to it and it should not be dismissed because she was a soap star or what not. It is highly polished and produced but not over-produced. After listening to it you will get the sense that Natalie would do wonderful 'unplugged' as well, her voice is that good. In fact the one weakness is that some of her vocals are, in fact, overproduced at times despite my comment that the CD as a whole is not overproduced. Let the girl sing!

Speaking of Satellite, great track, probably the next most 'popish' after Wrong Impression but a great listen. If you are considering this CD because of Wrong Impression, you will be blown away by it. It has so much more depth then you would guess from Wrong Impression. Highly recommended, impressive song collection.


Differend from Left Of The Middle, but very good   February 3, 2005
rick me (Netherlands)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

I have to say first: Don't buy this album if you are hoping to have a left of the middle part 2. It is very, very differend from Left of the middle. However, it is good if you liked singles like Wrong impression, That day and Beauty on the fire. This album is also very torn-a-like. Because when you heard the first album it was like torn was misplaced. I will tell you something about every song:

1. That day: The first single in 3 years. Very differend from Natalie's other work. It did not do well in the charts, and it is not one of my favorites. Not a good opener, and after a while it gets annoying. The lyrics however are moderate/good.

2. Beauty on the fire: the third single, the single that makes up for That day. Good lyrics, powerfull chorus and will not dissapoint any Torn-fans. The video is her most beautifull video ever.

3. Satellite: The first happy song on the album. One of my favorites, and one of the albums best songs. Not a single though. This song actually atracted a stalker to Natalie, because of this part: ''so move a little closer, it's alright, I know what you are thinking, you have been circling me for a while''. A stalker took this personal and began wondering around at her house. The song only lasts 3 minutes, what is a shame.

4. Do you love?: The lyris are very, very good and really get you. The opening tune is very addicting, the chorus is rocky.

5. Wrong impression: The best song of the album. Second single, and the one with most succes. On the radio a lot, and it has a catchy tune, good lyrics. Probably the best song on the album. The video is really fun and it is the first happy-natalie video. It is very poppy.

6. Goodbye: A very sad song, and not one of my favorites. And again: the lyrics are good. What is a great improvement on this album compared to left of the middle.

7. Everything goes: One of my favorites. Gives you a feeling that everything is possible. The song makes me happy.

8. Hurricane: It looks like Everything goes a lot, and is almost just as good. It becomes a bit boring after listening to it to much.

9. Sunlight: One of the best songs of the album, and it could have been a great single. It is about life and the way we handle life. We never really see what is happening around us.

10. Talk in tongues: This one she performed live in 1998. Makes me feel really sad, the lyrics are powerfull but the rest of the song did not impress me. A slightly catchy song.

11. Butterflies: Don't understand what this one is about, but when she sings: Butterflies, Butterflie-ha-ha-ha-ice, it has a lot of emotion.

12. Come september: One of the best, and a great song to end the album. It gives you hope and this is one of the songs that makes this album so great.

White Lilies Island is called White Lilies Island because it is where she wrote her songs, it is an Island somewhere. She was isolated when she wrote the album, that's why most lyrics are so sad. The songs are not Alanis Morissette-a-like anymore, what gives her a style of her own.


PARADISE   July 13, 2003
9 out of 11 found this review helpful

This is the best cd ever. The fact that ' White Lilies Island ' has
not got much attention of the media, gives the cd an atmosphere as if
Natalie plays just for you. Natalie's voice is pure... and the
songs can be only described as pure pop! Here is a survey of all twelve songs:

#01 THAT DAY : This is a nice entrance to the cd. It grows on you after two listens. Nice arrangement, beautifully sung. It was however a mistake to release it as a single in Europe. The song is about escaping from all the pain that is in your life. 9/10

#02 BEAUTY ON THE FIRE : This song is a little dancy compared to the rest of the album, especially in it's excellent radio mix, included on the single (which also includes three amazing b-sides and the splendid video). Fresh and catchy, it is one of my favourites. 10/10

#03 SATELLITE : Quite good, but not great. It offers some fine `Hawaiian' beats, and it is very catchy. It's feel however is quite bubblegumpoppish. 7/10

#04 DO YOU LOVE : This one was a grower for me, although the chorus is very catchy. The melody is haunting. The meaning is however quite vague, something about avoiding a person fall into chaos. 8/10

#05 WRONG IMPRESSION : Ah, the album version of the UK #10 song. It's different from the radio mix which is heard in the video, less catchy. Don't play it too often, if you don't want it to become dull. 7/10

#06 GOODBYE : This song is very very great. Depressive but great. As it builds tension, the sound becomes much rockier. The song is, yes, about saying goodbye. 9/10

#07 EVERYTHING GOES : Another good song, has a nice `paradise' feel, is however somewhat unremarkable among the other songs. 8/10

#08 HURRICANE : Slow and beautiful. "You're all that I could be/And I'm falling on my knees", you are likely to play this song every time you play the cd. 9/10

#09 SUNLIGHT : Another favourite, could have been a single. Very catchy and grown-up, respected the lyrics: Natalie tells us to enjoy the small good things in life, like sunlight on your face. She is right. 10/10

#10 TALK IN TONGUES : An amazing song, with some nice vocals (especially when singing "Crying like a baby"). Not very catchy. 9/10

#11 BUTTERFLIES : As `White Lilies Island' fades to an end, the songs build more and more melancholy and maturity. Like `Goodbye', the sound becomes fuller towards the end. I don't know why not many people like it. It rocks. 10/10

#12 COME SEPTEMBER : Everybody is holding his breath for this. A song full of hope, with a fantastic orchestral arrangement. Bravo. 10/10

Average: 8.83/10. That's five stars! If you don't already have it, you should go buy it immediately!