Cheryl Cole '3 Words' kind of review

Earlier this week I made a complete meal of writing a proper Cheryl Cole '3 Words' review, but here are the random notes I made during my first few listens. This is not exactly award winning writing, it's just random thoughts I made while trying to figure out if it was amazing or rubbish. It was hard to disassociate my love for Cheryl's shiny hair in her new L'Oreal adverts from the music and just before writing it she annoyed me a bit by kicking Ethan and Duane out of X Factor. I'm so easily swayed. It's very girly, all about being in love and is pretty sad. There's no Xenomania, there's lots of Will.I.Am and it's far, far away from a Girls Aloud album.

1. Three Words: Strange guitar opening, sounds a bit like Foals, before the bass builds up . Bizzaro. Will.i.Am/Cheryl co-write and Will.i.Am is all over it - it's a duet! The three words are indeed 'I Love You'. Very brave opening track. "It wasn't complicated, wasn't pre-meditated, to you I'm dedicated." Anthem for Chuck & Blair.
2. Parachute: Awesome military drumming. Cheryl sounds sad. About a secret love 'I won't tell anyone your voice is my favourite sound'. Her love is the parachute that will catch her if she falls. Nice, strong 90s rnb chorus. Brilliant little pointing finger breakdown "I won't fall out of love."
3.Heaven: Another wibbly electro Will.I.Am song and he's on it again. Most annoying bit is Cheryl totally aping his accent and singing 'My heaven's with you' as 'My heaven wit you'. No need. Best bit - Will I Am sounds like he's telling Cheryl she's immature at one point.
4. Fight For This Love: Best song on the album. The drums on this are amazing now. SOLDIER.
5. Rain On Me: Madonna-ish, teeters along before you have some very odd synthesised oboe (?!) sounds and it blows off into a big midtempo dance chorus. Tears in my eyes while raving kind of affair. Not a will i am track so no idea who is singing along in the chorus. Co-written by Livvi Franc!
6. Make Me Cry: Nice 70s Chic type of bassline. "Are you trying to make me cry?" Fierce, talk to the hand. Cheryl says shit! Doesn't really go anywhere but pleasant.
7. Happy Hour: Ridiculous, yet adoreable analogies. Bad boy she needs a taste of, he's an addiction. Co-written by Priscilla Renae, originally a Rihanna demo. Nice layering up of vocals without any Nadine style warbelling. Type of song I think Cheryl would sing along to in the shower. Middle Eastern vibes - K-Ci & Jojo esque piano topline. "Some days I can be sweet and some I'm sour, but I can't help but drink you up cos you're my happy hour." 2nd best song.
8. Stand Up: The only upbeat song, only one that doesn't sound like Cheryl is the saddest person ever. Taio Cruz penned and he features on it during a rap where he bigs up his advance and his bloody Rokstar shades. Makes me want to crouch to my knees and then fascinatingly 'Stand Up' in some kind of never before considered dance routine.
9. Don't Talk About This Love: Cover of a Nikola Bedingfield song. CUT YOUR EARS OFF AWFUL.
10.Boy Like You: Opens with a sample of Fleetwood Mac 'Little Lies'. Random. Another Will.i.Am track. Clapping / electro drumbeat. It's a shoulder wiggler.
11.Heartbreaker: Identical to the single release, no Cheryl mix or anything. Is that FIVE Will.I.Am duets??\
12. Got To Be Real: Amaz-Oh no, this is Cheryl Lynn. Thanks iTunes!

Cheryl's Hair: 10/10 ; Album 7/10

Mr Discopop's heard it too.

The Worst Album of All Time

In a list of things the world needs, an Eoghan Quigg album full of covers is not one of them. Despite making it all the way to the final of X Factor thanks to the little girl and grannies brigade, a win for Eoghan would have been another nail in the pop coffin of doom that already contains the dusty remains of David Sneddon, Steve Brookstein and Leon Jackson. If Leon, an X Factor winner, has just been dropped from his record label, along with runners up Same Difference, are we really supposed to believe Eoghan's debut offer us any more than a quick buck making exercise for a record label? Look him up 10 months down the line and we're pretty sure you'll find him back working hard at school with a Saturday job at Argos. A fine way to mess with a 16 year old's head.

Of course, we were never going to expect a masterpiece from Eoghan and you probably think we'd slag it off whatever he released. The thing is though, as Popjustice quite rightly states, even the most obsessive, deluded fan, will have some difficulty sticking up for this album. It sounds so cheap, so unlovingly put together that we are aghast that someone managed to A&R and release this without actually wanting to kill themselves

The main problem with Eoghan on the show (save the inexplicable hair, the face, the Diana love, the obsession from Louis etc) was the way his vocals were accompanied by so many backing singers that his voice frequently got lost, and this problem is repeated on the album most notably on High School Musical's 'We're All In This Together'. Taking the songs Eoghan covered on TV as a starting point you can expect to hear his strange choice of Abba's 'Does Your Mother Know', Michael Jackson's 'Ben' (surely the 2nd worst Jacko song after Ebony & Ivory?) and a wilting, joyless version of Take That masterpiece 'Never Forget'. Add to the mix a little known Jonas Brothers song which Eoghan has made sound so much like Westlife, Louis' ears will be perking up with a marathon speed, and the addition of a smattering of Robbie, McFly and Buble and you'll have a fair idea of the sound. It was speculated that Eoghan really found his place on the show when covering his 'favourite band' Busted with 'Year 3000'. Indeed this is really the only track on the album where Eoghan sounds like he's vaguely interested and giving it a smidge, and we really do mean a smidge of personality, so he must have been delighted for Busted craftsman James Bourne to offer up original song '28,000 Friends' for the album. Fittingly though, an ode to online friends, it's a cast off that wouldn't even have made a Son of Dork B-side.

It's safe to say 2009 is not Eoghan's year. There was a time when the runners up album would be as exciting as the winner's. While some might think Rhydian's album did exactly that last year (I've not heard it so I have no idea), let's all take a moment to remember the very first runner up - Gareth Gates - and probably one of the best sugary pop songs of the decade.

Some of this was originally written for Orange Music

Review: Ronan Keating - Songs For My Mother

Ahead of Mother's Day each year albums designed to appeal to your mum trot out in stores around the country. As well as dabbling with a Boyzone reunion, 2009 is the year for Ronan Keating to make his mainstream comeback starting with a release of 'Songs For My Mother'.

This, his fifth studio album, is a collection of covers recorded by Ronan with a live orchestra. It's no rapidly chosen covers album though; instead it's a group of songs Ronan remembers his mother, who he lost to cancer at the height of his success in 1998, listening to throughout his childhood.

Covering songs as cherished as Don McClean's 'Vincent' and Joni Mitchell's 'Both Sides Now' is always going to aggravate fans of the original but on the whole, Ronan manages to create careful versions filled to the brink with emotion. Bob Dylan's 'Make You Feel My Love' crackles with tears, popular Celtic folk songs such as 'Carrickfergus' and 'The Wild Mountain Thyme' are tender and the orchestral arrangement of Cyndi Lauper's 'Time After Time' adds an extra layer of euphoria coupled with the sadness of the lyrics.

Only a cold heart could refuse to be moved by the gentle 'Mama's Arms'. Originally performed by American singer-songwriter Joshua Kadison, the heart tugging lyrics must have been hard to Ronan to sing, his voice cracking on the beautiful line 'all you want is mama's arms'. The mood is only ruined somewhat by the suddenly jolly 'Suspicious Minds' and echo-heavy cheese fest cover of R Kelly's 'I Believe I Can Fly'.

It would be easy to thrown scorn on 'Songs For My Mother' but instead it's a sweet, and surprisingly enjoyable compilation of gorgeous songs. Perfect to show your mother how much you care.

Originally for Orange Music

Review: Starsailor - All The Plans

Since Starsailor first burst into the mainstream in 2001, most famously declaring 'Your daddy was an alcoholic,' singer James Walsh's voice  has become an immediately recognisable part of the UK music scene. Now on their 4th album, returning after a considerable break, the best new band to come out of deepest, darkest Lancashire this decade are back with 'All The Plans', another brilliant slice of indie pop realism.

Having moved record labels and inspired by all the 'rights and wrongs' they've experienced in the last few years, lead single "Tell Me It's Not Over" showcases compelling harmonies and an emotive vocal that sizzles with passion. Reminiscent of Coldplay's "The Hardest Part", it's just as epic and makes a strong impression as the album's opening track.  'All The Plans' and the yearning 'Boy In Waiting' have a similarly epic quality and capture that essential festival anthem spirit with hints of Oasis creeping into James Stelfox's bassline on the title track.

Equally there's a honesty in Walsh's voice that makes the gorgeous 'The Thames' feel like a genuine insight into his broken heart.  Despite sounding like it could soundtrack a Western, were it an instrumental, lyrics like 'the birds & the bees, the leaves on the trees, die all at once, now that you're gone', coupled with a compelling belief that his girl will one day be back in his arms, crackle with heartbreak.

Starsailor have unfairly become a band most people sneer at but "All The Plans" has recaptured that special something that made debut album "Love Is Here" so exciting. Whether it's too late to change people's opinions remains to be seen, but were we not so bothered by the 'cool' factor, there's no doubt the songs on this album show an anthemic return to form.

Review: Mongrel - Better Than Heavy

When Jon McClure first bound onto the music scene, he was full of endless optimism. Originally a writer for the Arctic Monkeys, the Reverend (of Reverend and the Makers) was convinced that his left wing politics could be put to music and make a difference to the world. Sadly after just one album he became disillusioned with the music industry and formed Mongrel releasing 'Better Than Heavy', their debut album, for free via The Independent.

Pulling together Joe Moskow from The Makers on synths, Drew from Babyshambles on guitar, London rapper Lowkey, Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders and former Monkey Andy Nicholson on bass to form a grindie supergroup was presumably his attempt at a multi-skilled masterplan. Yet the mid-way position between grime and indie, the aptly name Mongrel can't help to fail to excel in one particular field, instead falling somewhere into the middle under adequate.

Sometimes, when paired with a brilliant bassline, McClure's politics make sense. In 'Lies' we're told "the whole country is full of lies, you're all gonna die, I don't trust you anymore" and 'Barcode' offers up a chilling warning of the human race being 'a commodity, we will quantify'. Yet sometimes, his lyrics can move too far towards preaching with the listing of oppressed countries such as 'Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Darfur, too many to name,' in the otherwise brilliant 'The Menace', sometimes being too hard to stomach for your average music fan.

A good effort for sure, but ultimately 'Better Than Heavy' leaves us yearning for the catchy tunes and daily life descriptions that made Reverend & The Makers debut so special. We admire the message but can't help but feel we'd rather have The Reverend back in his very own church.

Fall Out Boy - Folie A Deux

Following on from the stats grabbing initial review of the new Fall Out Boy album, this was the review that was actually published back in October. It's about to be finally released.

****

Could Fall Out Boy be any more perfect? They make songs you can stomp along to, give us the eyeliner hotness of Pete and have donated $50k to a pro gay marriage campaign. Three hoorays from Attitude. French for 'shared madness by two', 'Folie A Deux', might be more thoughtful but remains packed with melodramatics that leave us pondering just how amazing an FOB musical would be.

Lead single 'I Don't Care' steals a glammy beat from 'Spirit in the Sky' and almost sounds like a Xenomania production with campy 'oohs' sandwiching a dark chorus. With special guests including Pharrell and Debbie Harry popping up,  Elvis Costello delights on 'What A Catch, Donnie' - born to soundtrack the moment that goofy boy everyone laughs at has a Tyra style makeover becomes the fiercest girl in school.  Although nothing can top last album's 'Gay Is Not An Acronym For Shit', the boys would still win awards for song titles  with the random likes of 'Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes' and the creepy, epic sounds of 'Head First Slide Into Cooperstown On A Bad Bet'.

Though '27' might claim 'We're all just fucked', the anthemic (Coffee For Closers) stresses that 'change will come'. Released on US Election day, Folie A Deux is ultimately the sound of a frustrated generation looking for a way out.

Review: Brandy - Human

Unless you grew up watching Moesha, Brandy has unfairly struggled to make much of a long term impact on us here in the UK. Although we might still be slightly in awe of the fierceness of The Boy Is Mine, albeit over ten years ago, the average person may struggle remember many of her other 11 top 40 hits. Now returning after a four year break which saw the explosion of Beyonce and Rihanna as R&B superstars, is there any room left for in our hearts for Brandy? 

Her fifth album arrives after several years of personal trauma following Brandy's involvement in a serious car crash. A vulnerable and revealing album, the title track calls out for forgiveness and declares herself as, ''fragile and broken, perfectly human''. Although names like Missy Elliot, Taio Cruz, Keri Hilson and Timbaland were all touted as writers on this album, it ends up being mainly written and produced by long term collaborator, Rodney Jerkins, aka Darkchild. Lead single, Right Here, hits the mark, with a haunting piano topline and retro ''oh oh ohs'', creating an almost gospel sound and reminding us how sweet Brandy's voice can sound. Understated ballad Long Distance is just as good as If I Were A Boy and should be a global hit, beating with surging strings and tenderness. Expect to hear this one sound-tracking a heartbreaking moment on a Grey's Anatomy finale sometime soon. 

Although there's nothing as fiesty as 2002's What About Us or jittery as the Timbaland produced Afrodisiac, midtempo highlights The Definition and Piano Man sound bang up to date practising their best Ryan Tedder impression by matching synths, drums and a sweet vocal to great effect. Plus our very own Natasha Bedingfield teams up with Brandy to write uplifting album closer, Fall. 

Concentrating on melodies and inspiration, Human, is a mature, sensitive album. Although complete with stunning vocals, its lack of daring and experimentation could be its downfall though, with her once faithful audience now utterly devoted to dancefloor driven R&B.

Originally published at BBC Music

Review: Britney Spears - Circus

Every generation has its fallen hero and Britney Spears is ours. Yet despite being released at the height of her madness, 2007's Blackout proved that Britney could still create brilliant pop moments. Now, just over a year later, Circus arrives with an overwhelming swell of public support behind it.

While Blackout was 45 minutes of eye-rolling, crotch-crunching, but utterly brilliant insanity, Circus is, like Britney herself in recent months, a touch calmer. Sometimes it works, like on the disconcerting 'Unusual You', an electro ballad of Robyn-sized proportions, or the serene 'Blur', documenting Britney's last two years through lyrics like "I can't remember what I did last night". Other times, like on the sickly 'My Baby' - an ode to her children including a mawkish reference to their "tiny hands" - it goes horribly wrong.

To be honest, though, all we really want from Britney is floor-filling pop to live up to 'Womanizer''s manic sirens. 'If You Seek Amy' is a secretly filthy playful romp, while 'Kill The Lights' is a scathing attack on "Mr Photographer" who stalks her every move. Our favourite moment lies in the slow-motion middle eight of 'Shattered Glass': we can just imagine Britney, in full diva mode, strutting through a icy forest, completely back in control.

Circus is an album of highs and lows, but there's a danger we're just so excited about Britney surviving that we're happy to accept mediocrity. 'Womanizer' is probably the album's only iconic moment, but it certainly proves there's fight yet in the girl we'd almost written off for good.

Originally published by Orange Music

Review: Beyonce - I Am... Sasha Fierce

In a world ruled by downloads perhaps the flow of tracklistings, once pored over for hours by record labels, isn't that important any more. It's certainly not to Beyonce who, on this, her third solo album, has spread 11 songs over two discs in order to create a 'concept'. Double albums usually make us pull an ugly face (Back To Basics, anyone?) but we guess at least this has a point, almost. 

Let's explain. For this album Beyonce has split her personality into two. Disc 1, labelled 'I Am', reveals the 'real' Beyonce behind the makeup, baring her soul with insecurities about love. The simple, If I Were A Boy, is ably joined by the very strange, but wonderful Ave Maria and Ryan Tedder's Bleeding Love-lite, Halo. Unfortunately when faced with six ballads in a row, you might find yourself dropping off into a deep slumber, no matter how good they are. 

You'll wake up sharpish though when it's time for disc 2, as Beyonce is gone, replaced by the hilariously monikered Sasha Fierce. Sasha is B's on-stage personality and the hair flicking, stiletto strutting beats of Diva with it's dictionary defining ''diva is the female version of a hustler'' prove it. Yet though the electro pounding of Sweet Dreams or the wild Radio might be standouts here, there's nothing that announces Beyonce's experimental side like the raging Ring The Alarm from B'Day 

An attempt no doubt for credibility and importance, I Am ... Sasha Fierce ultimately falls short of this goal. In a world where Rihanna seems to have released hit after hit, Beyonce, although the superior on-stage performer, needs to come back with something stronger than this if she wants to steal her sparkly crown back off the young pretender.

Originally published on BBC Music

Review: Seal - Soul

With 15 million album sales and three Grammy Awards under his belt, you'd think it might be easy for Seal to make a successful album. Yet since the mid-1990s his popularity dramatically waned, with even the super contemporary Jacques Lu Cont produced System last year failing to make much of a mark.

Thus Seal has decided to return to his self-declared roots with his sixth album, the simply titled Soul - a collection of classic songs, produced by legendary Canadian producer David Foster, best known for his work with Celine Dion. Entirely a covers album, it features the work of Sam Cooke, Al Green, Otis Reading and James Brown to name but a few, and here enlies the problem. Choosing such definitive songs, and performing them, on the whole, with such a loyalty to the original recordings, simply makes us want to listen to those originals. Sure, there may be some novelty value the first time you hear a man sing Ann Peebles' glorious I Can't Stand The Rain or Deniece Williams' enchanting Free but a faithful cover of If You Don't Know Me By Now leaves us reaching for the Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes original, or at very worst Simply Red. Cover albums always face this risk, but Seal could have done with taking a leaf out of George Michael's Songs From The Last Century album and finding some brilliant, but lesser known songs to scatter through the album.

Though there's no doubt that Seal has a great voice, perfectly designed for singing soul music, ultimately Soul feels a touch too smooth. In his day Seal was an innovator - constantly pushing the genre boundaries of r 'n' b & dance music - but now we're left hoping he finds some of that magic that seems to have been lost along the way.

Originally published at BBC Music

Review: The Saturdays - Chasing Lights

When The Saturdays appeared on our pop radar we felt sorry for them. Here were five girls dreaming of being the next big thing in a world where the Girls Aloud & Sugababes monopoly showed no signs of letting up. Then we heard the kick-ass music, and suddenly The Saturdays felt like a viable proposition.

First single 'If This Is Love' seemed to spring out of nowhere with it's Yazoo sample shining an electro-pop beacon but there's been plenty of behind the scenes work going on. Signed to Fascination Records, home to Girls Aloud, they certainly have a pedigree with Rochelle & Frankie alumni of S Club Juniors, the irritatingly enthusiastic Mollie, an X-Factor reject, as well as soloist Vanessa. Then there's Una – eight years older than the others, she's a singer songwriter who already oozes disinterest in the project, and could be their Siobhan Donaghy.

If we're looking for a word to sum up The Saturdays, it's feistiness. Although nothing can beat the robot disco of 2nd single 'Up', there are only really one or two soppy ballads like 'Issues' that let 'Chasing Lights' down. Instead it's the fierce chorus of 'Keep Her' and the sass of 'Set Me Off' that get us excited. 'Work' is an irresistible dancefloor puller destined to be a single,while 'Lies' is an electro-ballad that proves these girls will be taking no mess from the boys.

Energetic and fun, 'Chasing Lights' is a promising debut. It's not perfect but it's better than any of us could have expected.

Review: Sugababes - Catfights & Spotlights

Pop groups rarely make it to six albums, but Sugababes have managed just that.  Sometimes described as a brand rather than a band, their distinctiveness has faded through the years - culminating in the personality-free, but very successful 'Change'.

Uninteresting lead single 'Girls' aside, 'Catfights and Spotlights' could be the album to make us fall back in love with them. We wouldn't normally praise an album so ballad-heavy, but if there's one thing the these girls can do well, it's a killer ballad, the likes of 'Stronger' and 'Too Lost In You' still sending shivers up our spine. The Karen Poole penned  'Sunday Rain' is an epic tearstained tale with a nod to Sam Brown's 'Stop', while Klas Ahlund (who produced Robyn's album) introduces quirky sounds and swelling strings on 'Every Heart Broken'. Newest member Amelle has finally found her position within the band, her smoky voice adding a dangerous edge on the haunting 'Side Chick' and self-penned 'Beware'.

The tempo lifts only occasionally and even then it's somewhat forgettable. While 'Hanging on a Star' could be a Dana Dawson B-side, second single 'No Can Do' will certainly bounce its way into the heart of your favourite radio station.

The girls claim they've grown up and ditched pop. Not at all - they've just added some Motown horns and a twinkling of eighties funk. The result is an album that sounds the most like the Sugababes since 'Angels With Dirty Faces'. We're glad you're back.

Originally published at Orange Music

First Listen Review: Girls Aloud - Out Of Control

A new Girls Aloud album is a surefire way to put a smile on my face so I was super excited to receive their new album Out Of Control this week. I'll be reviewing it for the BBC later, but here's my first listen thoughts.

Overall you might be a bit disappointed if you're a fan of the 'Girl Overboard' and 'Biology' side of the girls. They've cut back on frantic-ness and replaced it with gorgeous, soaring electro pop that's just as good.

1. The Promise - It's so exciting that they're about to have their 4th #1 with this song. You've heard it though, although the album version has a longer intro and a repeat to fade ending.

2. The Loving Kind - This is a collaboration with Pet Shop Boys and the first of quite a few synth ballads. Being a GA & PSB collaboration it's kind of a disappointment as it should be amazing. It has an epic verse but then the chorus doesn't quite cut it. There's no great hook.

3. Rolling Back The Rivers - Starts with a really strong big vocal almost acapella. I have no idea who is who though when they sing. Then when the music kicks in it sounds a bit like 'Somethin' Stupid'. It's really smooth sounding and makes me roll my shoulders all about. Has a great 'a-wooooo' sound.

Review: John Legend - Evolver

As the owner of possibly the sexiest voice in music, John Legend has got it going on. Now releasing his third album shows that he's lost none of the magic that gave his debut, Get Lifted, such crossover appeal.

Here in the UK, we've now got a special soft spot for John thanks to him signing Estelle and transforming her into a superstar. She returns the favour by lending her vocals to the reggae tinged 'No Other Love'. Being John Legend, it's not hard to attract guest stars, but we're impressed that Evolver manages to avoid overcomplicating with so many 'featurings' that the main artist is relegated to second place. The other chosen two are Andre 3000, throwing a futuristic spanner into the unusually upbeat Green Light and a vocoded Kanye helping him ditch his lady in We're Over. Impressive.

Confirming his position as an elegant ladies' man, the dreamy Good Morning leaves us feeling that we couldn't turn down any request made by this man. His seductive qualities are further cemented as he tries to turn his best friend into his lover in Cross The Line, begging her to stop, ''dancing 'round the moment''.

It's not all love and ladies though - a fierce Obama campaigner, the album ends on an epic note with If You're Out There. Originally performed at a Democratic convention, John rallies his listeners to change the future and, ''stand up and say it loud''.

Although we might miss the piano solos that made songs like Ordinary People such classic show stoppers, Evolver is a colourful burst of soul. Packed with incredible melodies and exquisite arrangements it's yet another step to further confirm Legend as one of the most talented songwriters of the moment.

Originally published at BBC Music

Review: Fall Out Boy - Folie A Deux

I was lucky enough to be given a preview listening of the new Fall Out Boy album a couple of weeks ago and my review will be appearing in a magazine next month. To give you a bit of insight, normally you get sent albums to review either in hard copy or an internet stream. They're normally watermarked so if you leak it onto the internet the label can figure out who to murder.

There are certain levels of albums that they won't let anyone have. If you want to hear it, you go to them, and for some reason the FOB album fell into that category which seems a bit extreme. So along I went to Universal Records where I very excitedly bumped into Nicola from Girls Aloud who's super red hair at the moment is amazing and slightly less excitedly listened to the FOB album, in a small room, alone, once, with my mobile taken off me. It's pretty hard to review an album in these conditions and get it spot on so if it turns out to be bloody shit, I apologise. It does mean that you're constantly scribbling things down though, and you end up with some random statements. The last time I did this I went on a bit so look after the jump for the track by track review that hasn't been made pretty so don't start on me for not writing well. In short, 4/5, 13 tracks, very long, angry but poppy, noisy but tender, pretty great, 27 is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. Annoyingly the record has just been pushed back to December 16 which kind of leaves my actual review making no sense. Bugger. Real review will appear in a couple of weeks anyway.

Review: Boyzone - Back Again... No Matter What

When Boyzone were first about, a decision had to be made. It was either Boyzone or Take That. To like both was the ultimate sin in the life of a teenage girl, and if you were foolish enough to choose the Boyzone option, you weren't really worth hanging out with.

Now wanting a piece of TT's comeback pie, they're back, playing a sold out tour to their adoring public, and releasing 'Back Again... No Matter What' - a compilation of their greatest hits, plus three new songs, and a live version of Ronan's 'Life Is A Rollercoaster'.

While the bad are either hilarious (Love Me For A Reason) or coma inducing (You Needed Me), the good amongst Boyzone's 16 consecutive top 5 hits still make us smile. 1998's #1 'No Matter What', penned by Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Jim Steinman for musical Whistle Down The Wind, was a highlight, particularly as Ronan finally let someone else sing the main part. Ronan's traditional growl is, of course, omnipresent, especially in 'Baby Can I Hold You', one of four covers. When it comes to new songs, 'Love You Anyway' recaptures the motown fun first heard in 'Picture of You' but 'Can't Stop Thinking About You' is an awkward electro song that doesn't fit the band at all.

Ultimately there's no denying the greatest Boyzone song - 'A Different Beat'. We are not even slightly being sarcastic here by declaring this one of our favourite pop songs of the 1990s just for it's extreme randomness. Yes, for some unknown reason, Boyzone, bored of soppy ballads, decided what they were missing were African drums, chanting, foreign languages, thunder, a rousing middle 8, lyrics to solve work peace and a trembling piano. Everything is forgiven just for these 4 minutes. Amazing doesn't even cover it.

If you love Boyzone, you'll love this. If not, well you might just find yourself a bit surprised by how many songs you're happily singing along. Perhaps after 9 years of Westlife, Boyzone sound like a treat.

Originally published at BBC Music. I hated Boyzone as a child, apart from ADB obv, but this was oddly enjoyable.

Review: Kaiser Chiefs - Off With Their Heads

When we heard the Kaiser Chiefs' 3rd album was going to be produced by Mark Ronson, we were worried. After all hasn't everyone grown a bit tired of Ronson and his relentless trumpeting? Fortunately we can report that, thanks to co-producer Eliot James, the wonky parping has been kept in check.

After the massive success of the usually 'notoriously hard' 2nd album, 'Off With Their Head' is the Chiefs going at it old school with quirky British rock influences a plenty. Jaw-dropping lead single 'Never Miss A Beat' could easily be mistaken as a forgotten Beatles demo with it's call and response hook (best bit - 'What do you want for tea? I want crisps!'). 'Tomato In the Rain' gives a hammond organ it's best use in years, and Ricky's Northern charm shines in the comical 'Addicted To Drugs'.  Ronson's star pulling power is in effect too, with Lily Allen providing backing vocals on the summery swagger of 'Always Happens Like That', orchestral maestro David Arnold looking after 'Like It Too Much' and grime boy Sway pulling in a star turn on the XTC reminiscent & surely future #1 'Half The Truth'.

A sprightly 35 minutes, it's yet more proof the young pretenders have nothing on this lot when it comes down to personality, wit and intelligence. Tunes to get your converse dirty to.

Originally published in Attitude Magazine.

Review: Katy Perry - One Of The Boys

You know when you go a club, make eyes with a boy and then he gets distracted by some hussy who's snogging other girls just to get the boys? That's Katy Perry all over. With her pin-up looks and in your face attitude, she's captured the attention of an massive audience hitting #1 in 20 countries.

Although initially compared to Lily Allen, there's none of her cheekiness and wit. Instead 'One of The Boys' falls neatly into your CD collection somewhere near Avril and Pink. Expect a straight mixture of all out rockers  and 'woe is me' angst ballads that will warm the heart of any teenage door slammer.

'Hot N Cold' is the best of the hard hitters. With pop anthem producer Dr Luke behind it, it's a shout-a-long romp that's far superior to the all conquering 'I Kissed A Girl'.  The lyrically stupid 'Ur So Gay' might be irresistibly catchy but is full of face scrunching gay stereotypes, and while the likes of eyeliner anthem 'Self Inflicted' and 'If You Can Afford Me' are musically dull we're sure her young audience will be able to empathise with her boy problems.

At fault is Katy's insincerity. She thinks she's like, 'oh my gosh soooo alternative', promising that she 'belch her way through the alphabet'. Ultimately, though the ideas might be there, 'One of The Boys' just feels like a very cleverly thought out idea. Calculating, corporate pop at it's most effective.

Originally published at Orange Music

Review: Pussycat Dolls - Doll Domination

For a group of dancers, turned singers, the first Pussycat Doll album had a surprising number of workable singles on it. Now back to prove it wasn't a one-off, 'Doll Domination' reads like a who's who's of urban pop. Darkchild, Cee-Lo, Lady Gaga and Missy Elliot are just some of the impressive names that have worked on this album.

Surprisingly it's the midtempo songs that seem to stand out. There are of course some dancefloor stompers that shine with Snoop Dogg popping up on the vocoder heavy 'Bottle Pop' and New Kids on the Block (!!) going space electro with them on 'Lights Camera Action'. Unsurprisingly nothing can compete with Timbaland's trademark clean beats and he steals the show with the hypnotic, Middle Eastern vibes of 'Magic'.

Proving that he can do the ballads just as well, old Timba has also conjured up gorgeous 2nd single "I Hate This Part". Bizarrely "inspired by Sting", according to Nicole, it's melancholic piano is haunting.  Similarly 'Hush Hush' produced by label boss Ron Fair is an epic ballad promoting the Dolls as strong women who "never asked for help" from their men. Unnecessarily long with 18 tracks on the album, there must be some duffers and this falls mainly down to a disappointing R Kelly duet on the dull "Out of this Club".

Closing with a cover of "Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps" as a nod to their cabaret past, Doll Domination is a surprising listen. Who ever could have dreamed they would end up being queen of the ballads?

Originally published at Orange Music

Review: Heartbreak - Lies

Disco's all the rage. 80's all the rage. Put the two together and you get something that sounds like Heartbreak, the pairing of the fabulously named Ali Renault and Argentinian Sebastian Muravchik. They both look like they've fallen straight out of East London, complete with skinny moustache, so it's no surprise they're making that italo-disco sound all the cool kids are talking about.

'Lies', their debut album, is a somewhat mixed affair. While at times, Sebastian's voice can sound epic and flamboyant, it also has something of a 'Jake Shears gone evil' tone to it, none more so as in the absurd sounding 'Robot's Got The Feeling'. 'Akin To Dancing' transports us to a seedy NY discotheque, while the pulsating Moroder beats of former single 'We're Back' pound along with high drama. This 7.30 minute epic, which sent all the hipster blogs into a frenzy back in August, is their masterpiece, with the eerie and creepily sung lyric "You have not heard it all before, cos we're back from the disco to the radio".

Close but no mirrorball - we're not entirely convinced by this album - if we wanted italo disco we'd listen to Sally Shapiro, and if we wanted creepy 80s synth pop we'd go for Cut Copy. If nothing else we can thank Heartbreak for the best song title we've heard in a long time - 'Deathly Pong of Love'. Brilliant.

Originally published in September's Attitude Magazine

Here's Little Boots' cover of the epic "We're Back".