AFTER her song-writing credit for Kylie Minogue with the slinky Slow, Emiliana Torrini's second album is something unexpected.

Rather than sending you towards the dancefloor, this will have you peering disconsolately into your coffee cup. It is a gently engaging listen, in an acoustic, almost folk style.

Icelander Torrini shares some of the vocal phrasing of Bjrk, but is far less ostentatious - equal parts smooth and innocent. Potentially soporific, Fisherman's Woman gently wraps itself around your subconscious, and stand-out tunes eventually emerge such as Sunnyroad and At Least It Was. Her take on Sandy Denny's Next Time Around lacks the stateliness of the original, but replaces the melancholy with hopeful zest. Critics will see another Norah Jones, but Torrini is far more beguiling. It must be something in the water.

Updated: 08:43 Thursday, March 03, 2005