Close (2,5 out of 5)
What we were afraid of during the release of her first three albums, seems to be definite in 1988. Kim has lost her wild streaksforever. This is clearly evident from the new album “Close”, a record on which we had to wait for over a year and a half. The album, produced by her brother Ricki Wilde and Tony Swain (a.o. Bananarama) is a slight disappointment at least. It gives us almost an hour’s worth of boring songs, with some songs where the gentlemen behind the mixing desk have made some Stock Aitken and Waterman-brew of things.
‘Close’ opens with a good version of the hit single “Hey mister heartache”, but after that your eyelids start falling down slowly but surely. Fortunately you’re awakened by the sounds of ‘Never trust a stranger’ (The next single?) on the beginning of the B- side, but after that you can re-commence sleeping. That includes the closing piece, a cover of Todd Rundgren’s “Lucky guy”. It is feared that Kim is ‘close’ to the abyss with this one.
(A.H.)