Stuck On Repeat: Siobhan Donaghy Gets Airlifted Into Our Brains

Siobhan Donaghy’s Ghosts–which has been out on the other side of the Atlantic for a few months, but not available here because the record industry is apparently only interested in my dollars when they come via Amazon’s UK site–is making a serious run for my best-of-’07 list; it’s 12 tracks of the ex-Sugababe stretching herself in all these crazy pop directions, and it hits the sweet spot where smart, ambitious, and really catchy collide more often than not. (Not bad for someone whose next gig is the London production of Rent.)

Over the past week, the epic “Medevac” (which is currently streaming from her MySpace page) has been my go-to track from the album; it’s kind of terrifying, with a siren propelling the whole thing along and Donaghy pleading for help while her voice is leaping octaves, but it’s also oddly anthemic (especially on the choruses, where a choir swoops in to give her pleas some extra heft). Given that Donaghy’s last video was an homage of sorts to David Lynch’s Inland Empire, I’m hoping that she cuts a clip for “Medevac” next, if only because I’d love to see her take on Twin Peaks next.

Siobhan Donaghy [MySpace]