ABC, it should be noted, have done a good thing, by promoting Hart's return, as hard as it can, against the vile mega-machines of the current Australian music industry. Anyone who at all watches the channel, will by now know of this release; and I'm sure I'm one of thousands who have sat there, waiting for Summer Heights High to start, and suddenly exclaimed; "Oh my God! That's the girl from Frente!" Interested, this led me to run a search on my itunes, only to find that ABC had made the decision to digitally release only the video for the debut single, "Cold Heart Killer", and not any of the actual album (unless they've given exclusive digital rights to the new Bigpond digital store that will never take off). That could prove a fatal mistake in the relaunching of Hart's career. It's presumably a "smart" move, designed to protect physical record sales. But ABC is not a label that can afford to bank on stockists filling their shelves with their product; and, quite frankly, Hart is a big enough memory to pull the interest of the public, but not a big enough memory to warrant actual sales of an album, without consumers first being sure it's a formidable return (not, ironically, in this era, where the full retail price of a CD is now seen as such an extravagance). Which is a shame, considering they've certainly intended to hold up their end of the bargain with their advertising (even occasionally playing the full clip) - it would be a treasure missed, if this resurrection slips by, unnoticed.

"Cold Heart Killer" was a track I found, only a couple of nights ago, after I gave in, and paid my ridiculous price for the itunes video (never having done so, before, I can sadly advise against it - I was betting on a standard audio quality, so the purchase was adequately substituting buying the actual song, and this was not what I got). But apart from the dissapointment of itunes video and sound quality, what a find it was! For a sultry spring night, it's the perfect paradox of sweetness and melancholy; at once, both ethereal and noir. Adding to the duplicity is Hart's breathy, almost non-chalant voice, floating above gliding strings, quasi-retro biker guitar twangs, and a kind of crescendo finale that positively weeps, the song coming to a beautiful kind of death. It's a tad dramatique - as are the lyrics, which delicately touch on moments of physical abuse (metaphoric, or otherwise) - and yet, Hart stands in the video, as if she's on her fifth Rohipnol, her lovely voice singing without a drop of shade or depth.

And that's not to criticise - on the contrary, it gives it a strangely affecting atmosphere, and a feeling, perhaps apt in light of the subject matter, of a kind of emotional exhaustion after a turbulent narrative of great intensity. The end result is kind of David Lynch, meets run down mid-western circus, meets Newtown cabaret. Hart is seen as the quintessential indie chick; but apart from the nose ring, and that Aussie accent to her vocals, I'm thrilled to say there's nothing to this outing that suggests any of the cliches this label has come to mean (the sound of silence is about all I want to hear from Missy Higgins). It's somewhat European, in feel; and as dangerously pretentious as that can become, I found it a delight to stroll down its aching melodies of love gone bad, and to go sailing through a decidedly starry night with those divine strings. It's certainly a lot better than a stroll down that other street, she was so famous for.

I can't tell you what the rest of the album is like, sadly. I'm imagining I will crumble and make the purchase; but with news that it includes songs co-penned by Ben Lee, it's probably safer if I check, first (insert vicious disease pun, here). Of course, if the album was licensed to itunes, I could have done that by now, and ABC might very well have my $30, already. But so far, so good - it's a gorgeous song, with a beautiful video (there's a compelling quality to Hart as a visual presence, and she has found herself in the hands of a good director, here). In the current chart climate (the days of Australian Idol and Neighbours-come-popstar instant celebrities), it's a timely reminder that we do actually have some talent in this country - if only the cash registers of Idol and Neighbours would stop suffocating them, culturally. Thankfully, the ABC have stepped in for this one, and whether or not it works (certainly, I'd be surprised if this goes mainstream in too major a way - which is a damn shame), Miss Hart's return is bound to find a willing audience of some size and description. What can I say, Angie? Time turns over time, I guess. But it's been well worth the wait.