Algorithm

Before the world heard Natalie Imbruglia sing a word on “Torn”, her debut single back in 1997, the shimmer of a cymbal and a buoyantly strummed melody rang out first. Nearly three decades later, the actress, pop star and songwriter is venturing into new instrumental territory with her seventh studio album <i>Algorithm</i>—specifically to the dance floor, where guitars and analogue instruments make way for synths, drum machines and the electronic euphoria of dance pop. That isn’t to say she’s full bought into this tech-savvy shift, and the title track <b>“Algorithm”</b> winks at her feelings about the pitfalls of social media addiction over a mildly robotic beat: “How can you be in the zone when you're always on the telephone?” A fresh sonic palette is tailor-made for Robyn-esque love songs like <b>“Just Drive”</b> and <b>“Beautiful Love”</b>, which beg for late-night parties and last-call sing-alongs. But Imbruglia still breaks out the guitar, strings and drum kit for <b>“Upside Down”</b> and <b>“Who Dimmed the Lights”,</b> which manages to sound modern and a perfect fit for the <i>Dawson's Creek</i> soundtrack at the same time.