Margaret Urlich - Safety In Numbers (1989/2020)

I remember seeing Margaret Urlich at a little pub in Melbourne back in 1989, a year after she had released Safety in Numbers. There was not a big crowd but we were all enthusiastic to hear this new talent from NZ. It didn't take long for "Only My Heart Calling" and "Escaping" to climb up the Australian charts and two years later Urlich won an ARIA for best new talent. I think an accurate description for Safety in Numbers is uneven. Some of the songs are really soulful and exciting, such as the two singles already mentioned, while others rather beige, particularly in the second half of the album. Consequently Safety in Numbers is not a classic album, which is disappointing as Urlich's vocals are on fire.