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But at least Louis can take comfort in the fact that one of his other groups, Girls Aloud, have done so well in the last two years that people are beginning to forget that they're 'those girls who won that TV show'. Seven top-three singles later, now is a good time for Cheryl, Nadine, Nicola, Sarah and Kimberley to release their second album, What Will The Neighbours Say?
Things start off extremely well with their summer hit "The Show", a feisty, thumping track with a positively rude bassline. Play it loud enough, and you'll probably feel like you're in an earthquake - in a good way. "The Show" is followed by the upbeat but not particularly tuneful "Love Machine", although it does contain the genius lyric 'I don't wanna change ya / Making you a stranger / I'll only re-arrange ya for now'.
"I'll Stand By You" is their latest chart-topper (buoyed by Children In Need) but it's arguable whether this cover adds much to the Pretenders' original. The album's other single is a cover of the Pointer Sisters' "Jump", featured in the film Love Actually. Twenty years on, this version updates the song nicely with a welcome return of those buzzy synth sounds and gnarly bass noises from "The Show". Good work.
Sadly, after leaving the singles territory, WWTNS? settles into afairly predictable mix of well-produced tunes covering the various pop styles and themes. "Deadlines & Diets" is reminiscent of All Saints' "Never Ever", and then there's the angry, 'rock' track "Wake Me Up" and the pleasant Spice Girls-esque ballad "I SayA Prayer For You".
Like all decent pop albums there are some killer tracks and songs to suit every mood, but it does seem this one's unlikely to go down as a classic. Nevertheless, Girls Aloud are currently British pop royalty, up there with Busted, Blue and the Bedingfields, and What Will the Neighbours Say? proves that in the ultra-fickle world of TV-generated pop, Girls Aloud have real staying power. --David Hooper
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Customer Reviews
Now, 2 years since "Sound of the Underground," after releasing three #2 singles and one #1 smash, Girls Aloud are back with a new album, the highly-anticipated sophomore album "What Will The Neighbors Say." And the second offering is even more mouthwatering, delightfully fun than the first.
The album starts off with "The Show," which reached the UK #2 spot in June 2004. The Girls' comeback single was extremely well-received in Britain, and for good reason. Fantastic synth basslines pump throughout, and the Girls' vocals really shine, especially in the impressive conga-esque chorus. From there, the album really takes off. Eight more fabulous stompers await, including "Jump," last year's cover of the Pointer Sisters' hit. And although the girls really shine on the upbeat dance tracks, the ballads certainly don't disappoint. Among the better examples is "I'll Stand By You," Girls Aloud's most recent #1 hit and the official Children in Need single for 2004. This cover of the Pretenders' 1994 track won't be loved by fans of the original, but, at least in my opinion, it is one of the best songs on the album. Another ballad, "Deadlines and Diets," deftly showcases the Girls' vocals, especially Nadine's and Cheryl's, but it isn't as impressive as the likes of "Hear Me Out." There are many standout tracks on this album, but my favorite by far is "Love Machine." This spectacular gem of a pop song went to #2 in the UK in October 2004, and has been nominated for many awards, including record of the year. The track, with its fun, quirky sqare-dance-gone-wrong feel, shows off the brilliant production of the Xenomania team, while employing some of the best pop lyrics in decades. "Real Life" follows in the footsteps of "Sound of the Underground" with its surf guitar and edgy, moody vocals, and manages to chuck in elements of Outkast's "Hey Ya," of all things. And "Here We Go," which screams out to be a single, has a rocky chorus reminiscent of "No Good Advice" and amazingly immaculate lyrics that Rachel Stevens would kill for. Its 60s feel sounds like Emma Bunton on heroine (and that's a good thing).
Overall, the album is fun, cool, impressive, full of attitude, and, in the words of one reviewer, "quite good, actually." In a world of Destiny's Child and the Sugababes, Girls Aloud have succeeded in making a pure pop album, something that hasn't been done in decades. With "What Will The Neighbors Say," Girls Aloud have once again changed the face of pop music.
The album opens with the aforementioned singles. The 2 covers are amiable enough, but suffer when compared to the revolutionary sound of 'The Show' and 'Love Machine' When hearing these 2 singles, you not only realise the quality of music being made, but that you couldn't imagine any other band but Girls Aloud singing them. While nothing else on their album reaches the pinnacle of these 2 singles, most surpass the quality of the covers. Most of the album tracks were written by Girls Aloud, and songs like 'Deadlines and Diets' work so well as they are a comic observation on life. Many lyrics in their songs will relate to anyone who has experienced youth, especially a hangover or a drunken fumble. Highlights of the album tracks are 'Wake Me Up' their next single and a Britney reject, which is a monster, turning the bassline up to 11; Hear Me Out, a moody and pleading ballad, the pure cheek of 'Big Brother' and the tongue in cheek message for fathers of teenage girls everywhere, 'Thank Me Daddy'
Obviously other people's favourites on this album will differ, but the beauty of this album is that all of the songs are of a certain quality to enable this to happen. If you are still sceptical read any other review which will tell you the same; Girls Aloud have created one of the greatest pop records of 2004
How many good tracks? 13 out of 14
Best track: Graffiti My Soul
Worst track: Jump. It's not rubbish as such it's just not a fantastic cover.
1. The Show 5/5
2. Love Machine 5/5
3. I'll Stand by You 4/5
4. Jump 3/5
5. Wake Me Up 5/5
6. Deadlines & Diets 5/5
7. Big Brother 5/5
8. Hear Me Out 4/5
9. Graffiti My Soul 5/5
10. Real Life 4/5
11. Here We Go 4/5
12. Thank Me Daddy 5/5
13. I Say a Prayer for You 4/5
14. 100 Different Ways 4/5
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