by MacKenzie WilsonWatching Angels Mend was already double-platinum in Australia by the time it reached the other side of the world in mid-2002. That statement might be bold, but there's truth behind it. Watching Angels Mend is an earnest effort by the Aussie singer/songwriter Alex Lloyd, and his vocal beauty is an uncanny match for the sounds of Neil Finn and Live's Ed Kowalczyk. But with all comparisons aside, Lloyd has indeed made something great. Watching Angels Mend is sonically strict with layered guitars, mega-lush choruses, and heavy-hearted melodies, and Lloyd's lyrics are vividly inquisitive of life's normal adventures. Lloyd doesn't get lost in it all, however. He lets the instrumentation take over. Well-known slide guitar player B.J. Cole lends a hand on the jubilant, country-kissed "My Friend," while Portishead drummer Clive Deamer gives "Sleep" an extra kick into slumberland. Both dreamy and dynamic, Watching Angels Mend sticks with the basics as far as rock music is concerned. There wasn't much room for over-production; just a simple record waiting to take on a life of its own.