Generally overshadowed by her younger sister in terms of chart achievement, Dannii Minogue has in fact enjoyed quite a purple patch of late, recently reaching the Top Ten with three consecutive singles; the first time in a career that extends back to 1991. Kylie's blip in form is Dannii's gain with the aptly timed release of Neon Nights. Her first since 1997's Girl failed to reach the Top 50 selling just 15,000 copies in the process, Neon Nights looks set to not only eclipse her previous under-achievements, but could well be a surprise best seller. Included are the aforementioned hits ("Put The Needle On It", "I Begin To Wonder" and the Euro-trancer "Who Do You Love Now" in collaboration with Riva), along with their respective videos on an enhanced disc to satisfy her testosterone market. Sweden's Murlyn team (Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera) offers greatest single potential with both the rasping "Creep", and the retro sing-a-long "For The Record". While the Parisian cyber-pop collective, Ne?mo, handle chores on a trio of cuts including "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling" and the credible Miss Kitten-like electroclash-tinged "A Piece Of Time". Typically a pleasant cocktail of pop sophistication, club culture and accessibility, "Neon Nights" goes a long way to remind the world of Dannii's powerful vocals. None more so than on the P-funker "Mighty Fine", and "Push" that sounds not unlike an outtake from "...The Needle" session. Oh, and there's even a hidden track "Come And Get It", a chunky and highly credible club track mixed by Sebastian Kreig. It's often been said that Dannii is the antithesis of Kylie.Whereas her sibling is a colourful pouting pop princess, happy to sing others odes, Dannii prefers to dress in black and adopt a more sultry demure, writing a large proportion of what she sings. It may seem odd to imagine Kylie's position to be threatened by her sister, given that Dannii hasn't released an album in six years, but Neon Nights could just give her a run for her money.
