CELINE DION - A NEW DAY - BRAND NEW ORIGINAL US IMPORT

Doubters who expect little from Celine Dion but turgid ballads will be surprised by her return to recording after several years. On A New Day Has Come, the big production numbers most associated with the Canadian superstar's name ("My Heart Will Go On," "Because You Loved Me") are evoked by the two versions of "I Surrender" and somewhat lifeless covers of "At Last" and "Nature Boy." At the same time, though, Dion shows her willingness to stretch on the classic-house homage "Sorry for Love" and the unavoidably catchy "Right in Front of You" and "Ten Days." The album's unexpected, often low-key production allows Dion to emote in a straightforward way that gracefully skirts the chest thumping of past days, and the relative subtlety works in her favor. Still, New Day will hardly prove a shocker for her many fans. Crowning the conservative Dion a forward-thinking diva seems a bit premature, but this agreeable record opens the door to such a possibility.