Out of Control [CD]

The album title, Out of Control, is of course a misnomer-- if there is a more in control, empowered, dominant and disciplined pop tour-de-force out there, then Girls Aloud must still be sassier and brassier and a whole lot noisier, because we’re not noticing anyone else. And this is also possibly the most restrained, or at least sleek and refined, collection of songs from the Girls yet. There are a couple of deeply pulsating off-the-peg club floor-fillers in "Turn to Stone" and "The Loving Kind" that embody an out-of-body hedonism, poised retro pastiches like the gliding and punchy "The Promise" and sassy rhythmic "Love Is the Key", then up-tempo 80s-flavoured ballad "Rolling Back the Rivers in Time", direct steamy pop of "Fix Me Up" and brilliantly on the button infectiousness of "Miss You Bow Wow". The fluency is palpable across such a range of subtle twists and turns, their confidence such a given they don’t ever need to force the point. This is album number five and although it’s impossible to fight the feeling of it being the next tidy package from a well oiled production line it’s about as hard not to gawp at the electrifying consistency that sneaks and smashes through its twelve tracks--and in that sense maybe you could say it is a little Out of Control, compared to the competition. --James Berry

Even before Queen Cheryl of Cole sharpened her perfectly manicured judging nails to become the nation's new sweetheart, Girls Aloud were adored by everyone from misery guts Noel Gallagher to toff David Cameron. Now teaming up with hit factory Xenomania again for their fifth studio album, our girls show no sign of giving up the hunt for the perfect pop song.

That perfect song might not, however, be exactly what you're expecting. Instead of compelling us to race to the dancefloor and jump on our tutu, Out of Control has taken its lead from the success of icy ballad Call The Shots and brought us a shimmering album of heartbreaking electro pop with the tearstained melancholy of the Ashley baiting Love Is Pain its defining moment.

Forgetting about hugely disappointing Neil Tennant collaboration The Loving Kind, the Balearic bliss of epic seven minute marathon Untouchable and the haunting swirls of Turn 2 Stone (which cries out for a big trance remix) prove that you don't have to be brassy to be brilliant. That said, if you're running back to Tangled Up frantically searching for Girl Overboard, you need not fear. Although there aren't as many stompers as usual, the sarcastic country of Love Is The Key and drum and bass anti-anarchy anthem Live In The Country, in which Sarah begs for a ''stall selling strawberry shortcake'' will go some way in cheering you up. Miss You Bow Wow impresses as one big non-stop chorus and the dancehall mayhem of Revolution In The Head mean there's no chance of an overly serious 'we are no longer pop' edict being issued.

Pop music at its finest, Girls Aloud have opened up their hearts, and finally won their battle against drippy, re-hashed ballads. Long may they reign. --Talia Kraines

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This two disc set includes the full original 12-track album, a 24-page stunning book of photos and lyrics plus an in depth interview with the girls who reveal all their studio secrets and discuss the album track by track.