Anyone who knows anything already knows the best pop stars come from the British music scene. Why settle for Jessica Simpson and Christina Aguilera when you could have Kylie Minogue and Girls Aloud? And look who else is back—performing during the BBC’s coverage of New Year’s 2007 was none other than Sophie Ellis-Bextor, the woman who gave you “Murder on the Dancefloor.” And though Shoot From The Hip wasn’t quite as well received as debut Read My Lips, “Catch You” sounds like an altogether different beast. Whereas Ellis-Bextor’s 2004 album suffered from an overload of cheesy pop production that sounded several years out of date, the first single from Trip The Light Fantastic keeps its eye on the prize. This sort of million-miles-an-hour, electro-influenced dance pop suits Ellis-Bextor far better than the slightly hammy disco flourishes of yesteryear and arrangements that often left her alone to struggle with the lyics—not exactly her strong suit. “I Am Not Good At Not Getting What I Want” this ain’t.

By contrast, “Catch You” feels like 80% chorus, meaning Ellis-Bextor doesn’t have to worry so much about those pesky verses. And in place of the bit-too-loud synth hits and slightly-too-slick guitar riffs, we get a streamlined electro-rock track worlds away from anything from her last two albums. In the past, if we were lucky we’d maybe catch Ellis-Bextor in a bemused mood, or maybe with a slight snarl (after all, she did play the bad girl in the video for “Murder on the Dancefloor”). But “Catch You” is Sophie Ellis-Bextor with all engines on full throttle, and it turns out she’s still got plenty of tricks up her sleeve. Though a Stateside release is about as likely as the British invading Greenland, import hunters can pick up Trip the Light Fantastic in May.