Carly Binding: Passenger

By RUSSELL BAILLIE

(Herald rating: * * * *)

There are many theories about just what is the best revenge. But showing there is more to you than being an ex-PopStar with an album as impressive as this, is one of the better ones we've heard lately.

Binding's debut will surprise anybody who might tie her to her first 15 minutes.

It is pop — but its 10 songs are solid, thoughtful, guitar-powered, sometimes bittersweet things brought to life with confident arrangements and hooks of the non-annoying variety. It's true that Binding can frequently sound like the fourth Runga sister.

Boh Runga and various members of Stellar helped out in the co-writing and recording departments.

But heck, there could be worse role models for one's solo debut. If songs such as early singles Alright With Me, Love Will Save Me and the gloriously anthemic This Is It aren't rewriting any lyric rulebooks, their natural exuberance makes them something special. And she does a lovely ballad, too, on the likes of

Unable Too and the closing My Liberty. In its own way, the Kiwi pop comeback of many a year.

Label: FMR