Kim Wilde (album) - Critical Response

Critical Response

Kim Wilde received generally positive reviews from contemporary critics. Commending the mix of up-tempo and slower tracks as well as Wilde's versatility, Australian publication The Chronicle found "Water on Glass" to be "reminiscent of some of the early 60s rock" and highlighted "Our Town" as "one of the best tracks", comparing the subject matter to Simon & Garfunkel's "My Little Town". Donald Robertson of Roadrunner magazine called the three singles "masterpeices" and concluded that the "pure pop" album was "fun to listen to when you're having fun". Eric Chappe called the album an "immediately striking disc", citing the "'60s girl group mannerisms" and "Spector-esque drum sound" of "Water on Glass" whilst drawing comparisons to both Dusty Springfield and Debbie Harry. Writing for The Globe and Mail, Alan Niester again compared Wilde to Dusty Springfield and Debbie Harry, but called "2-6-5-8-0" and "You'll Never Be So Wrong" "extremely promising", describing the latter as "a moody and captivating ballad that stands head and shoulders above all the Blondie and Pat Benatar simulations." Smash Hits magazine sarcastically suggested "this is the best Blondie album for a couple of years" but expressed hope that the singer would assert herself more in the future. High Fidelity's Mitchell Cohen found Wilde's voice alternately "plaintive" and "shrill" but described the album as "entertaining" and "a lot of fun", again drawing comparisons to the music of the 1960s. Mike Nicholis praised Wilde's voice and individuality despite comparing the reggae-influenced "Everything We Know" to "The Tide is High" by Blondie, released the previous year. Calling "Tuning In Tuning On" a "clever closer", Nicholis suggested that the track provided "requisite experimentation" and could indicate a new synth-driven direction for the singer; a prescient prediction with regards to the sound of her subsequent albums.