Kylie Minogue - Impossible Princess (1997)

From allmusic (4/5):

"By 1997, much of the pop music landscape had changed. The music papers were declaring the "Techno Revolution" was on, Oasis and Manic Street Preachers were ruling the charts, and simple dance-pop seemed to be the domain of teenage girls. So what does the dance-pop diva of the '90s do? She recruits Manic Street Preachers' James Dean Bradfield, Sean Moore, and Nicky Wire, starts writing unaided, and completely changes musical direction. Enter Kylie Minogue's Impossible Princess (the title was changed to Kylie Minogue after the death of Princess Diana). From the trippy cover art to the abundance of guitars and experimental vocal tracks, this was her "great leap forward." The move got her in the papers, but, unfortunately, critical acclaim was lacking (and so were sales). Critics called it a mistake, and the public was less than impressed. Which is sad, because this is a pretty damn good record. Unlike her early work, this album sounds stronger and has a more natural feel. Her songwriting abilities have come a long way, and Impossible Princess actually flows together as an album. Worth another look."

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Curve - Doppelgänger (1992)

From allmusic (4.5/5):

"Following a series of single and EP releases that had found chart success in the U.K. and indie credibility in the States, the British band Curve released their full-length debut Doppelganger on Dave Stewart's Anxious label. Led by lead singer Toni Halliday and guitarist Dean Garcia, both of whom had toured with Robert Plant, Curve enlisted production help from Flood for this record. Roaming the same sonic landscape as My Bloody Valentine, Doppelganger features the breathy, dreamy vocals of Halliday over top layers of throbbing guitar, dense keyboards, and sledgehammer drumming to create formidable aural textures. At times meandering and unrelenting, tracks like "Already Yours" and "Wish You Dead" are stellar workouts full of rhythm and attitude. The few slower numbers are a nice change of pace with the best results on "Fait Accompli" and the quiet, almost dirge-like "Sandpit," where the less dense instrumentation allows Halliday's vocals to become the focal point. At times menacing and dark and other times more playful, Doppelganger is a bracing listening experience that earned Curve well-deserved attention on both sides of the Atlantic."

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Pizzicato Five - Happy End of the World (1997)

The reviewers over at RYM are a lot more helpful than the people over on allmusic/pitchfork, etc. From now on, RYM reviews take preference over professional reviews.
Anyway, let's get on with it:

"A Japanese masterpiece. The album opens with "The World's Spinning at 45 R.P.M", which is one of my favourite pop song titles ever. The song begins as a pseudo-psychedelic and Beatlesque pop track, before becoming a typically irresistible P5 number. The vibe has been set. "The Earth Goes Around" is nearly as nice, while "Trailer Music" and "Love's Prelude" are nothing but interludes – however, quite interesting ones. "My Baby Portable Player Sound" is the first smash on the album, followed by "Mon Amour Tokyo" which sounds very international in its adult-contemporary pop-schlager tripping. "Collision and Improvisation" is one of those numbers which simply sound wonderful, however inappropriate they may seem. "Arigato We Love You", finally, breaks P5 into a classic quality level; while most of this album's content reminds me of Saint Etienne, I wonder if Saint Etienne has ever made anything this catchy. "Happy Ending" leaves me quite happy, perhaps except for the ending of the song which typically consists of a long pause and a few tens of seconds of something quite non-musical. Beside that, "Porno 3003" (the title possibly inspired by the Sushi 3003 compilation?) is the only filler on the disc. All the other stuff is more or less fascinating: soundtrack to a reality film I would feel superb acting in." - fairyeee (4.5/5)

"When I was in school and the cool kids were all about Nirvana and RATM and The Manics and... well, I don't really remember, I was scrabbling around record shops looking for Pizzicato Five and Melt-Banana albums. Why this happened to me I've never been entirely clear, and it never won me any friends, but for better or for worse, Happy End Of The World ended up being one of the defining albums of my youth, and pretty much everything about it has influenced pretty much everything I'm done, musically or otherwise, for the past 12 years.

Maybe having hunted around for it so long, it could never be anything other than gold, but years later, the sweet demented vocals and the slick élan and the cut-up drums like bloody cannons are just about all I want from music. Without P5, I'd probably think the Blood Brothers were a sack of crap, and where would we be then?" - Fotzepolitic (5/5)

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Moloko - Do You Like My Tight Sweater? (1995)

From allmusic (4.5/5):

"The aptly named Do You Like My Tight Sweater? slinks and bounces on a funky backbone of fat basslines and innovative beats that support singer Roisin Murphy's sly, theatrical vocals and lyrics. Part catwoman, part droid, her singing ranges from a knowing purr to an androgynous growl and creates characters like party weirdos, dominatrixes, killer bunnies, and ghosts. As dramatic as her vocals are, however, Murphy is an antidiva; her musical surroundings equal her singing in importance. The other half of Do You Like My Tight Sweater?'s individuality comes from Mark Brydon's arrangements, which combine fluid tempos, sudden breakbeats, witty sound effects, and unearthly keyboards in sci-fi grooves that appeal to the brain and body. Standout tracks like "Fun for Me," "I Can't Help Myself," "Lotus Eaters," and "Party Weirdo" mix sensuality, technology, funk, and electronica in a unique and stylish blend. While some of the sillier songs like "On My Horsey" and "Dirty Monkey" disrupt the flow of Do You Like My Tight Sweater?, the danceable creativity of Moloko's debut overrides its quirks."

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