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Release Date: November 28, 2007 Label: Bonnier Music Related Sites: · Official Site · MySpace Page Grade: C+

Swedish-born Amy nevertheless spent her first four and a half years in England, and exhibits a perfectly natural English delivery. Her voice hasn't developed much beyond the high and really young-sounding vocals of her earlier material, with perhaps subtle maturing evident here and there. A talented figure skater, she finally had to give up the time-consuming activity in favor of singing. She has such an appealing voice, but the material on Music in Motion rarely rises above just ordinary.

There are no phat grooves like "Hello!" or "Go Kid Go!" from her debut disc, This Is Me Now (perhaps the lack of exclamation points are to blame?), nor youthful anthems like "Big Guns" from the follow-up, Still Me Still Now. There are only a couple of out-and-out dance tunes, the effective bass-jammin' "Domino" and the weakest track of the bunch, "Speed of Light."

Sweden's real-life Hannah Montana: While carrying on a successful singing career under the Amy Diamond stage name, she otherwise attends school regularly between weekend gigs.

Speaking of old-school sounds, one of the highlights of the record is "So 16" that features a funky '70s Kool & the Gang groove. Lyrically about teen vacillation in the face of love, it could also double for the fears of a young girl uncertain about her future as a pop star: "Some girls just got, just a little more to show for/Some girls just got, what it takes to makes it/What if I'm not, what if everything just falls down." Also outstanding is "Graduation Song." The song works, despite the fact that Amy seems to be getting a little ahead of herself. Ruminations at that pivotal point in life where "we had the answers 'til the questions changed" evoke sentimentality looking back ("Did you have the time of your life?") and speculation ahead ("This is where the road turns my friend, my partner/We'll catch up some other time") with equal heartache and anticipation.

"Looks Like We Made It" is a daring Barry Manilow cover that shocks the senses... okay, just kidding. It's really not a remake of the balladeer's #1 from 1977, but an original tune that sports a reggae beat while extolling the virtues of sticking together in the face of adversity. The similarly-themed "We’re In This Together" is also an affirmation of love with the message to keep at it, with an organ bridge breaking up the mid-tempo.

Next for Amy is participation in Melodifestivalen, Sweden's music event that determines the country's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest, an annual international competition (think American Idol on a continental scale.) Switzerland's entry for Eurovision 2008 -- a song called "Era stupendo" performed by Paolo Meneguzzi -- has already caused controversy by containing more than just a passing similarity to Amy's hit "It Can Only Get Better." The 2008 festival begins on February 9th in Gothenburg, Sweden, and Amy will be performing a new song, "Thank You." Here's hoping it's more distinctive than the majority of what you'll find on Music in Motion.