POP MUSIC REVIEWS : Basia: An Upbeat Mix of ‘90s Tunes

She’s a tricky one, Basia. In the guise of a spectacularly overproduced pop goddess, she manages to sneak in some of the most musically fascinating sounds of the ‘90s.

The Polish-English singer’s Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre performance on Friday showcased her characteristic mixture of pop melodies, Latin rhythms and jazz harmonies.

If there was a problem with Basia’s presentation, it was a tendency, despite years of living in England, to swallow her consonants, often making it difficult to follow her words and experience the complete impact of the songs.

For many of the tunes, it wasn’t a huge loss. The material written by Basia and musical partner Danny White was almost unrelentingly upbeat, filled with phrases such as “I know there’s a lesson in every fall” and “I’m yearning no more, ‘cause I found my home in you.” Only occasionally did one or the other produce lyrics with richer messages.

The music, at least in the better numbers, was brightened by more enigmatic impulses. The new “Yearning” is an unusually provocative piece whose harmonically arching melody lifts it well beyond the typical pop realm. Basia’s live rendering was superbly done, profuse with multiple vocal densities firmly driven by her rich, dark contralto tones.

Her new album’s title track, “The Sweetest Illusion,” had an infectious swing bristling with jazz articulations, a first class illustration of how to create musically attractive, commercially viable pop music. Equally appealing, with a slightly different slant, was “An Olive Tree,” a melding of Sergio Mendes with Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.

Far less interesting were the dance-oriented tunes--recycled ABBA sounds apparently calculatedly aimed at their target audience, and creatively well beneath the high quality of Basia and White’s other works.