The new Delta Goodrem album, imaginatively titled Delta, is as marvelous as I had hoped it would be.

Nothing excites me more than hearing an act I admire and enjoy listening to grow as an artist, reaching new heights as every record is released. Three albums in, Delta continues to impress, and even wow me.

Next single and album opener Believe Again is an epic way to kick things off. Delta herself has said the song was heavily inspired by Madonna’s Frozen – one of her favourite songs of all time from one of her favourite artists of all time. I’ll come back to Madonna a bit later on… Believe Again actually starts off with Delt’s sounding a lot like Celine Dion; her pronunciation of words and vocal whisps in the first minute are strikingly similar in fact. As the song builds, slowly making its way to the first chorus, it suddenly all rips into an eruption of piano and violin strings. The chorus and verses that follow are magical, and the middle 8 is revolutionary. One of the best songs of her career, up there with the awe-inspiring Electric Storm from 2004’s Mistaken Identity album.

Current single In This Life follows, still managing to strike a chord with me. When I first heard this single, I was not convinced at all and was worried as to where the new material would take Goodrem. I think about 8 listens of the single soon changed my mind, and it is now one of my favourite songs of the year.

Mistaken Identity offcut Possessionless finally sees the light of day on this new album, a track which Delta told the Herald Sun Newspaper she had written whilst undergoing chemotherapy. The track is incredibly moving, with an infectious chorus; it’s easy to see why Delta wouldn’t let this song go. More depression hits in the form of God Laughs, a song which – in great detail – sees Delta tell the story of her parents divorce. Whilst Pink’s Family Portrait documented the feelings a child may endure amidst a parental divorce, Goodrem’s God Laughs is an anthem for the adult having to go through the ordeal. “We’re all walking on quicksand/and when we think we understand, god laughs.”

Delta’s most UK-sounding pop moment comes in the force of the FIERCE You Will Only Break My Heart. FIERCE vocals, FIERCE chorus, FIERCE verses – third single choice thank you! Ace music journalist Cameron Adams wrote in the Herald Sun that he thought it was “reggae beats over Sugababes-style pop.” On the money with that comment Mr. Adams.

There are two tracks on Delta which the singer did not have a hand in co-writing, The Guardian and Woman. Whilst they are both absolutely brilliant, you can almost tell just by listening that these aren’t Delta originals. The Guardian tries to reach the heights of Goodrem’s classic Not Me, Not I, but doesn’t quite make it. There is a phenomenal key change though which still makes this a spellbinding song. Woman’s absolutely great, but I wouldn’t have been upset if it had been used as a b-side instead or as an iTunes bonus track. Especially seeing as the actual iTunes bonus track for this album is the second best song out of this new batch. I’ll come back to that (and the Madonna thing) later on though.

Bare Hands is the closest you’ll get to Delta doing electropop. At least on this record. This subtle, techno-ballad is also another throwback to Madonna’s Frozen and, in places, The Power Of Goodbye. Just as you think things couldn’t get any better, the middle 8 storms in and sends the song to new levels. Complete brilliance. I Can’t Break It To My Heart, another ballad, sounds like the kind of thing Reba might throw her vocals into; a lush blend of big-chorus pop meshed with a tinge of country. Angels In The Room, another strong, powerful ballad, is a musical thank you to Delta’s fans, and is another fine moment.

Channeling Human League in places, Brave Face is a stunning tale of the love shared between Delt’s and her main man, Brian McFadden, who is quite a dish these days indeed. One Day is a staggering mid-tempo piece in which Goodrem announces “One day I will learn to like myself/one day I’ll make the perfect wife, and I’ll change my name just for him.”

Frustratingly, iTunes have an exclusive track available for download as part of the new Delta album that is not on the physical CD release. The track is Right Here In My Heart, and is the second best song on here. What was she THINKING not adding this to the proper album release? This is an absolute MONSTER of a track. An uplifting and intoxicating chorus, fused with chemical verses – I cannot believe such beauty has been relegated to being an iTunes bonus download. People buying the physical release will have no idea what they’re missing! I’m buying a physical copy (I collect Delta discs,) but have happily forked out the $1.69 for this masterpiece. Australian residents, you should do the same. International folk – search through those illegal places and you shall find.

Finally, I’ll close by going back to the Delta/Madonna reference. I like the fact that a singer with a voice as big as Delta’s will cite Madonna as a favourite artist. It’s rare – the girls in Australia with big voices (read that as “the girls on Australian Idol over the years with big voices”) always claim they love the Whitney’s, the Mariah’s, the Christina’s… These girls (the Australian Idol types, not the big-voiced divas) never seem to find it ‘cool’ to admire Madonna, maybe because her voice is not exactly strong in comparison to the aforementioned ladies, or maybe because of Madge’s overt sexuality. Not surprisingly, most of these girls – as popstars – are as fucking exciting as a crusty plank of wood. So it’s definitely nice – for me anyway – to see Delta can appreciate that there’s more to being a popstar than just having a strong voice. Being a Madonna fan myself, I guess if she can see and commend the path Madonna has taken musically, it says a lot to me about the kind of artist Goodrem is. And that’s why I believe this woman will continue to have a prosperous future in music. This album is a fine testament to that; here’s a strong, growing young woman with a multitude of great songs and three powerful albums, with a keen eye (and ear) for really good, classy pop music. Her reverent love for the genre shows in her own music, and I can only admire the woman more for that.

A career defining album.