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All Saints 'Studio 1' Album
Review
Take That certainly have a lot to
answer for. Following their mega-successful comeback, every
Tom, Dick and Harry has been having a stab (East 17? Why?!
MN8? Who?!).
Thankfully, All Saints were one of the more credible acts to
reunite. Fantastic and fresh first single Rock Steady,
with the girls on fine melodic form (those echoes on the
second verse are gorgeous), seemed to prove that the comeback
was not a mere cash cow. But, on first listen, Studio 1
was a disappointment – bland, predictable, boring and
forgettable.
And I was all set to stick with that assessment until, ten
listens later, something clicked. This album’s actually good.
Chick Fit, an anthemic shouty spectacular, is the first
to make a big impact – but Headlock and Flashback
are hot on its heels. On the ballad front, there’s no Never
Ever or Pure Shores (indeed, their attempt to
recreate their former William Orbit-shaped highs, On And On,
falls flat) is merely, but Fundamental is a soaring
epic and Only Me And U has an adorable and unusual
melody.
However, for all these rights, the sulky foursome commit some
wrongs, especially when exploring their new faux ghetto-reggae
sound – Scar just sounds like a load of noise, and bad
noise at that whilst Too Nasty is a grubby exercise in
clunkiness. And, even though most of the tracks do have killer
choruses, you have to plod through a series of generally
uninspired verses to get to them.
Studio 1 is a definite grower. Let’s just hope the
public gives them enough time to prove it.
ON REPEAT: Chick Fit, Rock Steady, Headlock,
Flashback,
Fundamental, Only Me And U
PRESS SKIP: Scar, Too Nasty, In It To Win It
Rachel Read
Click here to buy the Studio 1 album
at HMV online for just £8.99 INCLUDING delivery >>
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