Erika Heynatz is a model, and television host. In short, the type of person that just shouldn’t be releasing an album, but is usually given every opportunity to do so. From the beginning there have been signs that this isn’t just another attempt to merchandise Erika-the-brand.
Firstly, she quit a high-profile job as host of Australia’s Next Top Model to focus on her forays into singing. Secondly, she proved on It Takes Two that she has a legitimately powerful and emotive voice, easily winning the celebrity singing competition, even beating out Ailsa from Home and Away. The main proof, however, is in the pudding and Sweeter Side shows that Heynatz knows what she is doing.
First track All That You Wish For blasts out of the gate with a surprisingly uptempo stomp, sounding like it could sit comfortably on Natalie Imbruglia’s Left On The Middle album. Kingdom is slightly more schmaltzy, but as a power ballad it is top-shelf. Following track Holding On ups the syrup-levels even more, with a great string arrangement and lyric anchoring the song.
Elsewhere Erika toys with different variations on the pop theme, with Bullet employing a Lily Allen-strut, while secretly being better than any of the songs off Allen’s latest effort. I Don’t Want To Wait shares both a lyrical phrase and a similar sound to the Paula Cole Dawson’s Creek theme song. Any number of these songs could be synced to any number of American coming-of-age films, and this late ‘90s pop sound that runs through the album is refreshing.
Heynatz could have easily made a dance-driven, auto-tuned, Guetta-infused album and comfortably hit the higher rungs of the charts, but she seems more focused on deliver a quality, lasting record. She is gorgeous, there is no doubting that. But this album shows that she is also a talented singer and songwriter. This is what she should be doing. Luckily, she has realised this too.
by Nathan Jolly
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