Earnest female singer-songwriters have been two-a-penny since Alanis Morissette achieved international fame, with each one that comes along not appearing to offer much more than the last. However, Australian talent Anne McCue deserves far more than such a dismissive response. McCue has a voice which bears more than a passing resemblance to The Sundays' Harriet Wheeler albeit with added huskiness. Refreshingly her guitar playing is also up to scratch. Veering close to middle of the road territory she may be, but McCue's ideas are bountiful; equally at home with stripped-down, heartfelt material such as the self-produced 'Love We Made' as she is at latter-day Sundays-like pop of 'Laughing', 'Arcane', 'Angel Inside' and 'Waiting For The Son'. Even more impressive is the tougher-sounding riff on 'Desert In The Rain' and the bitterness convincingly portrayed in standout track 'These Things'. Lyrically McCue traipses through the usual love found and love lost fare but she sings with an edge that is endearing rather than irritating. 'Amazing Ordinary Things' is a lesson in strong songwriting rather than self-absorbed ranting; a trap that so many have fallen for in recent times.