My initial reactions upon listening to the tracks:
(Please note: this refers to the European version which includes Superlove as track 11)1) I'm Alive - Ooh, groovy baby! I don't think I've heard Celine Dion with this much attitude, not even on the French albums. A superb beat accompanied by high-precision singing and a charmingly surprising arrangement. A slight African feel with slightly 'digital' effects in some places but that's as far as I'm prepared to go in classifying this track. A New Day has Come - so has a new Celine Dion. 5/5
2) Right In Front Of You - The beat from track 1 is echoed weakly in this track which nonetheless feels fresh though considerably more recognisable as Celine material. Lovely flute melodies in the background. 4/5
3) Have You Ever Been In Love - Time to calm down - ballad time. Mighty and mushy. Hit material. 4/5
4) Rain, Tax (It's Inevitable) - Celine goes Destiny's Child, at least beat-wise. Good but not great. Easily forgotten. 3/5
5) A New Day Has Come (Radio Remix) - Very good but might as well be skipped in favour of track 16. 4/5
6) Ten Days - Ms Attitude is back! This track feels modern, slightly Southern, 'jammy', and funky all at once and not like classic English Celine fare at all. 5/5
7) Goodbye's (The Saddest Word) - Heartfelt and thankfully not overproduced for most of the song though layers are added throughout. Up there with the best of the Dion ballads, no doubt. 4/5
8) Prayer - Classic Celine. Sound-wise it reminds me of "Call the Man" from Falling Into You. Arena anthem with a mighty choir, strings, and the occasional electric guitar. 4/5
9) I Surrender - Powerful. Some sort of mix between New and Old Celine which is quite good. People who dislike Celine wailing and shouting should stay away though or risk a severe headache. 3/5
10) At Last - Laid back and cool. A nice resting place for your ears after I Surrender. However, as usual, Dion turns up the volume towards the end. 4/5
11) Superlove - This is Fun Celine, no doubt. In the same vein as Treat Her Like a Lady and Make You Happy. I'm ambivalent. Could be a flop. Could be single material. 3/5
12) Sorry for Love - Is this what happens if you mix Celine with Cher? Regardless, it's great and a real disco/dance boom with trademark wailing and a speedy rhythm. 5/5
13) Aun Existe Amor - We're back in well-mapped Celine country. Reminds me of Christina Aguilera somehow. Nice. 3/5
14) The Greatest Reward - A pleasant beat once again. Feels sincere and fittingly bombastic for Dion's voice. 4/5
15) When the Wrong One Loves You Right - What's this? Latino Celine? Bubbly track which put a smile on my face as soon as I heard the absurd 'oohooeeoo' chanting in the background. Definitely single material. 5/5
16) A New Day Has Come - Mellow and lovely and thrown out as the first single. The single is good, the album track is better, maybe even much better. Just like The Fellowship of the Ring will undoubtedly feel more complete with an added 30 minutes on the November DVD, this song feels more well-rounded and appealing in its 5:40 version. 5/5
17) Nature Boy - As is customary, this Celine album ends on a quiet note. Lovely, absolutely lovely. 5/5
All in all, this is a competent album which is delightful in many places. A worthy comeback for one of our time's most successful female singers. It has its low (or perhaps rather too high) places but it is definitely worth buying.
UPDATE:
Having listened to this CD a lot lately I feel that added to the initial reactions above should be a be a brief list of my current favourites, i.e. the songs that I listen the most to. "When the Wrong One Loves You Right", "I'm Alive", and "Sorry for Love" all receive much more playtime than the rest of the album. "A New Day Has Come" and "I Surrender" come in at a close second. These songs together make this CD a must-buy simply because they are the sort of tunes you can listen to over and over again without growing tired of them - a rare quality in modern mainstream music. And one should not forget the energy kick which can power up your system if you listen to "When the Wrong One..", "I'm Alive", and "Sorry for Love", in that order.
