Little known outside their native Britain, producer/performer duo Tin Tin Out (Lindsay Edwards and Darren Stokes scrambled the word "intuition" to get their name) were being hailed as the new Stock Aitken and Waterman for their work with such artists as the Corrs and Des'ree. Eleven to Fly, their third album, sees them abandon the full-on dance vibe of their first two efforts for a more mellow, melodic stance: chill-out candy pop for thirtysomethings. Their secret weapon here is singer/songwriter Wendy Page who has previously written for the likes of Martine McCutcheon and Billie. Page brings to the partnership her sharp eye for a smart middle-of-the-road pop tune -- like on the title track, by far the best tune on the set, with its infectious hook, string-soaked melody and gently shuffling beat. The music is uniformly lush and gentle -- a sort of watered down trip-hop -- which suits Page's little-girl vocal just right. She's not the only singer on the album, though. There's also Emma Bunton, aka Baby Spice, who turns in a neat performance on the cover of Edie Brickell's "What I Am," which is re-invented here as a busy, chirpy pop tune. If Eleven to Fly has a fault, it is that it is a little too pleasant and polished. But for Tin Tin Out, who are past masters at taking musical trends and converting them into radio gold, that would probably be the ultimate compliment.
© Leslie Mathew /TiVo