Album- DNA
Artist- Little Mix
Little Mix were the first group to win the X Factor, and in
the wake of their U.S deal with Columbia Records and their desire to bring back
girl power, I decided to look at their debut and see if they will be the
greatest girl group since the Spice Girls, which many have said they will be.
Track 1- Wings
It is simple to see why this was chosen as the lead single
off the album. With a powerful uplifting message, well harmonised vocals in the
chorus, great individual voices within the verse, and handclapping, toe tapping
production, it is a great pop song that can easily become stuck in your head.
And with such positivity in one track, it definitely has the sense of girl
power that the group strive to express.
4/5
Track 2- DNA
This is a great second track in that, contrasting with the
album opener, it shows a completely different side of the group, showing that
they are a musically diverse band (hence why it was chosen as the albums second
single). The nursery rhyme/hospital intro paves a nice way into the booming
production. And whilst lyrically the song is quite simple it packs a punch
vocally and production wise. And the dark moody atmosphere of the track taps in
greatly to that dark essence that exists within a relationship. This distortion
of band member Leigh-Anne Pinnock’s vocals in the final verse is also a nice
twist, giving another worldly flavouring to the track.
4.5/5
Track 3- Change Your
Life
This is the mid tempo uplifting power anthem that every girl
group needs, and which Little Mix accomplish well. Produced by Spice Girls
hitmaker Richard “Biff” Stannard, the production is powerful but never clouds
the vocal prowess of the group, with the band being in perfect sync with each
other on the chorus, giving a true sense of sisterhood. True, there are some
small bad parts about the song, such as the repetition of Change Your Life
which can become a little annoying and the spoken verse of member Leigh-Anne
that sound a little strange, but it is still a great, uplifting song.
3.5/5
Track 4- Always Be
Together
The first ballad of the album is a lyrically passionate song
co penned by the hitmaker that is Ester Dean. And the songs message is a
universal ideology of always being by your partners side. The girls give it their
all and are as always vocally on point, and the chorus is very simple but at
the same time very powerful. The production is also good but not to
overpowering. The only issue I had with this track is that, being sung by such
young girls as the band are, it feels a little disjointed and not as
emotionally impactful as if a slightly older artist and sung it. But still a
great track.
3.5/5
Track 5- Stereo
Soldier
The drumbeat intro of this track gives a great sense of the
song being military based, tying in with the idea of the girls having a Stereo
Soldier superbly. It’s a fun and fresh track that contrasts excellently with
the powerful balladry of the last track, and the booming production that
continues throughout elevates the sense of fun love that is imbued within the
track. The chorus is very simple and cool, whilst the post chorus gives a sense
of power to the track. The final verse with it chorus like production and
commanding vocal performance paves the way for a great end, and if you not head
bopping at least by the end of this track then go see a doctor, there is
something wrong with you.
4.5/5
Track 6- Pretend It’s
Ok
This is probably the weakest track on the album. Whilst the
mid to down tempo song isn’t terrible, it isn’t as lyrically astute, and it
also not as astute production wise. A nice flourish is given in that the chorus
is powerful but is not over sung, and the production highlights the message of
the track in creating a sombre mood, but that doesn’t save this song from being
weak.
2/5
Track 7- Turn Your
Face
This piano driven ballad is a perfect example of pop
balladry on fine form. The delicate vocal gives a true sense of vulnerability
to the song, and lyrically the song is extremely passionate but also extremely
honest. This song also works great in highlighting the individual voices of the
band, showing that they all can indeed sing really well. If you don’t think
this is a beautiful song, then again I beseech you to go to the doctor.
Track 8- We Are Who
We Are
The album changes pace again with this uplifting, up tempo
song that draws on the same ideas of Wings but perhaps does them just a little
bit more openly. The production is a little bit clichéd and the chorus is
something that has definitely been said by quite a few artists before. But if
you ignore that this a fun song that has a freshness to it as vocally the girls
seem to be invested in this track, which is great in that it shows they might
be stars now but there still susceptible to the things that everyone feels.
3/5
Track 9- How Ya Doin?
The phone ringing intro is a great start to this very 90’s
feeling track that gives a throwback to the girls childhood musical roots and
gives a great edge of diversity to the record. The chorus is a simple lyrical
brush off that is easily memorable, and the repetition of “never get back” is a
nice twist to the song. The last moment of the track is a little clichéd, but
that can be forgiven.
3.5/5
Track 10- Red Planet
(featuring T-Boz)
The great electro guitar opening of this track earmarks it
as quite an epic sounding song. And it again offers a sense of diversity to the
album, with cool production and lyrical concepts that is different can slick.
The T-Boz is also a nice twist, giving an interesting vocal that maybe doesn’t
add a great deal but that makes a change from the girls vocals. They is also
just a small hint of sexiness to this track I felt, perhaps in the way it is
sung, and the rap talk vocal of Leigh Anne actually really work on this song
compared to other tracks. An interesting musical piece.
4/5
Track 11- Going
Nowhere
Another drop of diversity comes in the form of this acoustic
down tempo track that embodies the mind of many girls in the world who have had
to put up with layabout boyfriends. Co penned by girlband veteran Nicola
Roberts (from Girls Aloud) it features cool and very on point cultural
references (e.g. playing on the X Box) and the harmonies on the chorus are very
well put together. It is also great through how Leigh Anne finally gets to show
that she is a potentially good rapper, and member Jesy Nelson gets to throw in
a bit of her beatboxing. It’s yet again another interesting song.
4/5
Track 12- Madhouse
The final track on the album is another diverse song, but
this time the diversity is definitely brought about by the aggressive and dark
production. Its perhaps not the best track to the end on but it makes a change
from the usual ballad ends of so many albums, and theirs cool elements to this
song such as the bridge which feels some creepy horror like production and hey
hey ad libs that feature towards the latter half of the song.
3.5/5
Final Review
This is a great debut in that it is really diverse but at
the same time feels cohesive. And in pretty much every track bar the odd
exception you get a sense of the girls personalities, as well as a sense of the
girls being really united. This is an album that will definitely see them on
their way to being the next big girl group (although artwork needs improving).
8/10
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