The second
McLachlan collection devoted entirely to reinterpretations of her songs,
Bloom draws primarily from 2003's
Afterglow for source material. Here
Junkie XL (renowned for his raucous take on
Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation") adds an ominous tone to "World on Fire," and
Thievery Corporation gives "Dirty Little Secret" a minimal backing of shuffling beats and entrancing ambient textures. Every track on
Bloom manages to offer something that makes it notably different from its original, with the only constant being
McLachlan's emotive and immediately distinctive voice. Most charmingly, reggae legends
Sly & Robbie transform "Train Wreck" into a spare, shuffling R&B number, and
Talvin Singh works traditional Indian instrumentation into "Answer," showing that the possibilities for reworking
McLachlan's spacious tunes are nearly endless.
–
Eric Schneider, Rovi