ARTIST: Girls Aloud
ALBUM: Out of Control
RELEASE DATE: Nov. 3, 2008
WEB DEBUT: Oct. 26, 2008
ONE-LISTEN VERDICT: The tragedy of loving pop is that your favorite artists have to follow trends, by their very nature, or die. (Or become not-pop.) And apparently it’s working for Girls Aloud, since the first single from Out Of Control, “The Promise,” is this week’s No. 1 single in the UK. That doesn’t change the fact that it sounds like Amy Winehouse backed by a wedding band. The Girls covered “Jump (For My Love)” once upon a time and found new energy and meaning in the song, but now they actually sound like the Pointer Sisters, at least in the first half of Control. If you always thought their penchant for intense, hyperbolic arrangements was annoying, and you just wanted some ’80s-sounding noises that would complement their voices nicely, Out of Control is for you.
THE BEST TRACK: Closing track “We Wanna Party,” despite not being by Andrew WK, is good and energetic, but the winner here is probably “Fix Me Up.” It’s something of a departure for them since it swings rather than bangs, but it works for them, and there are a lot of good noises. There’s also “Miss You Bow Wow,” but lord, that title.
That is so weird- everyone on the PJ forums LOATHES “Fix Me Up” and I do too. It’s so tacky.
“The Loving Kind” (PSB collaboration) and “Turn to Stone” are my picks for best track.
the promise, love you bow wow, turn to stone, love is pain and revolution in the head. five out of twelve is pretty standard for me regarding albums. however, i think they’re going in the wrong direction. the beats are getting a bit too clubbish. the greatness of “biology” is that it doesn’t sound like it can only be played at some sleazy ibiza club, several tracks on “out of control” does.
also, can they leave the xenomania church and reach out? would love to see what some other producers can do for them (i.e. a producer that would give them a less polished sound, they sound amazing live)