OUT NOW: MELANIE C "THINK ABOUT IT"

Melanie C is arguably the Spice Girl with the best voice (it's definitely the most powerful and technically precise, although I find different things to enjoy with each of their voices) and has been the most prolific on her own.  "Think About It" premiered on YouTube today and is the second single to be previewed from her forthcoming fifth album, "The Sea."  The first taster came in the form of the song "Rock Me," which was a nice enough song but lyrically very trite and all-too-familiar.  It was mainly released in Germany so perhaps it would go over better in a country where English is not the first language.
Luckily, 'Think About It" is quite a bit better and suits Melanie's voice and attitude very nicely.  It has the alternative rock / sparkle pop sound that she has successfully carved her niche in and has definitely got me looking forward to the new album.
She looks great in the new video (although I kind of miss the chubbier, punky version of her that I got to see live years back - more about that later).  There are some cool outfits and lighting effects, but it does sort of at times appear that she is dancing in front of a giant Mac computer screen saver!
When her debut album, "Northern Star" came out in 1991, I was really blown away.  Having never been my favorite Spice Girl, I was really impressed with her depth and range, not to mention her transformation from the rather bland "Sporty Spice" to a rockin' solo singer with a punky look and attitude.  I absolutely loved the first two singles "Goin' Down" and "Gaga" and the rest of the album, while almost a little too all-over-the-place, seemed to work because of the many different styles she explored.  From the Beatles-esque "Suddenly Monday," to the R n' B of "Never Be The Same Again" and the down-tempo trip-hoppy "Feel The Sun," she really demonstrated her vocal prowess and range.
Although her initial foray into solo artist-dom seemed to establish her as a rocker chick, she ended up hitting big with the dance remix of "I Turn To You," which was a humongous club hit around 2000/01 and I was lucky enough to see her on her North American tour around this time.  She was a dynamic artist to see and I was thrilled that I got to witness her in a fairly intimate venue.
I was monumentally let down by the milquetoast sophomore album "Reason," which much like it's black and white album artwork, seemed to be a by-the-numbers, passionless affair.  Where was the edge that she had displayed on her debut?
Through a couple more decent solo albums ("This Time" having the most high points since "Northern Star") and a Spice Girls reunion, Melanie C has continued to work on her solo career and has indisputably proven to be the Spice Girl most serious about her craft.  So, despite the fact that she has released some cliched, tired sounding songs here and there, a lot of her material has been great and it's nice to see her back again.

Rating: OOO (three out of five O's)