Geri Halliwell
Schizophonic (EMI)
You could call it “Spice Rack.” Now that she’s liberated herself from the Spice Girls, Geri Halliwell is sampling musical flavors (and personas) with an all-you-can-eat intensity. “Schizophonic” is aptly named, as Halliwell indulges in raga pop (“Let Me Love You”), hip-hop gospel (“Sometime”) and disco (“Bag It Up,” which swipes its chorus and party spirit from Heatwave’s “Boogie Nights”). She brings Rat-Pack swagger to “Look At Me,” a cut that dismantles the Ginger Spice myth with a nod and a wink: “Sometimes I don’t recognize my own face.” And Halliwell sounds more than a touch confessional on “Walkaway,” a ballad spiked with mock-Montovani flourishes. There’s even some good-natured mockery on the strutting rap “You’re In a Bubble.” Not all of Halliwell’s musical excursions work. “Mi Chico Latino” comes across as nacho-cheesy. But overall, “Schizophonic” shows Halliwell quite capable of cooking up a more sophisticated pop stew than anything her fans might be used to.