Album Review by EDF
This might seem a clear cut case of knocking this album before listening to it but what you will get is an objective review that will best highlight what the songs are like. Even though all five members were picked from one of those reality based music finalist programmes, they have already scored a Christmas No.1 single with the title track and a No.2 placing for the follow-up, NO GOOD ADVICE. Could the rest of the album deliver more of the same without sounding formulated?
SOME KIND OF MIRACLE and STOP deliver more of their pop rock sound that we all know and are quite catchy as well. ALL I NEED (ALL I DON’T) is a surprisingly good electro pop track, sounding a little bit like Garbage but with an 80’s feel. LIFE GOT COLD is a well-put together mid-tempo tune with direction. There is even a play on the group’s name on GIRLS ALLOWED, which along with LOVE/HATE are both more dance orientated. FOREVER AND A NIGHT is the big power ballad that sounds like a potential single.
On the negative side, MARS ATTACK tries hard not to sound anything like SOUND OF THE UNDERGROUND and fails. BOOGIE DOWN LOVE just sounds like the girls and the producers on autopilot, making this track sound dull and lifeless. The lyrics on DON’T WANT YOU BACK are unintentionally bad while trying to sound sincere. WHITE LIES does try very hard to be a great track and only comes across as average.
Strangely enough, the UK edition of the album has a couple of bonus tracks that would have been better suited on the original track list, possibly making this a better album. LOVE BOMB is a little bit like Deee-Lite’s GROOVE IS IN THE HEART mixed with the Spice Girls SPICE UP YOUR LIFE but groovier, giving the girls a bit of character. The other bonus track EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED sounds like one of the better album tracks.
Even though we will find each member singing their own lines within each tune, one thing that’s quite hard to ignore is that there are similarities between Girls Aloud and the Spice Girls. The songs here are not pretending to be anything but three minute pop tunes. If some of the weaker tunes were dropped, then I would have given this album an extra mark. They can only improve if the girls stay together long enough to record a second album. For now this is a good start.
