Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Watch My Lips DVD

Watch My Lips is essentially a video record of the culmination of Britpop girl singer Sophie Ellis Bextor's 2002 tour. It successfully mines the seam of hits spawned by her Read My Lips album and of course, "Groovejet", her mesmerising collaboration with DJ Spiller. Bextor's ironic interpretation of the role of the pop princess, a native musical intelligence and a host of influences from Blondie's guitar-driven rock circa 1979 to Moby are a potent combination which help to underline the breadth of her appeal. From the moment the anthem "Sparkle" hits home, the audience... at the Shepherd's Bush Empire clearly adores her even if, for all her constantly proclaimed love of dancing, Bextor's stagecraft and between-songs patter are sometimes limited to the point of being static and clichéd. "Murder on the Dancefloor", "Groovejet", the tenderly joyful "Is It Any Wonder" and the empowering "Move This Mountain" are the highpoints of the set and reveal where Bextor's strengths as a writer of sophisticated, danceable songs currently lie. But the accompanying interview suggests she is still in the foothills of her ambitions; there is enough grit, lynx-eyed determination and focus to see her through the multiple reinventions she'll need to build a lasting career on her initial success. Watch this space. On the DVD: Watch My Lips is presented in widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 mixed soundtrack that emphasises two things: the attention paid to reproducing a highly electronic studio sound in a live concert and the fact that Bextor really can sing, in an aloof, post-Deborah Harry way. Extras include interview and tour diary material, promo videos for five tracks from Read My Lips and, for curiosity value, promos from Bextor's apprenticeship with indie group The Audience. --Piers Ford [show more]

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