Sarah Fimm's latest album seems strangely out of time. If it had been released in the late 1990's it would have been hailed as an intelligent alternative to the post-club mood music of Olive. That it exists in 2005 makes one wonder how it will fare. Much about 'Nexus' is promising. First there is Fimm's voice; a powerful, crystal clear instrument that suggests classical training and is also capable of drawing up deep wells of melancholy. Her skills with the keyboard are also to be heralded and opening track 'Losing Velocity' represents a confident start. It's unfortunate, however, that Fimm doesn't really offer anything different thereafter and the subtle trip-hop effects in the background offer little in the way of genuine excitement. Only a couple more tracks rise above coffee table background music: the contrast between the purity of Fimm's voice and the abrasive beats of 'Story Of Us' and the welcome faster pace of 'The Sky Is Falling Down'. Sadly these are the exceptions on an otherwise rather bland record where Fimm's talents seem to be hamstrung by polite, uminaginative arrangements and a lack of memorable tunes.