Album- Salute
Artist- Little Mix
Track 1- Salute
Opening with blaring sirens, Salute is a stomping opener to
the album that immediately positions the record as being Little Mix’s next big
stage in their career. Salute is very much a female empowerment anthem, as the
girls lyrically focus on recruiting women from across the world to stand up and
unite to show the power of women and essence of what it means to be a
woman. The song finds the girls vocally
melding well, with the individual verses showing that each of these girls are
as feisty as each other and perfectly mean what they say, whilst I particularly
like member Leigh Anne’s delivery of the line ‘we don’t need no man’. The girls
main collaborators TMS work their magic as producers through their great
melding of stomping drumbeats, boisterous horns and an snappy rhythm that will
undoubtedly have many women doing exactly what the girls are wanting them to.
4/5
Track 2- Move
The records first single, Move is definitely a great release
from the girls in showing off their new, more RnB orientated style whilst not
alienating fans of their previous work. The song is an intricately assembled
piece that does take a few listens to sink in, but after a while it is one of
those songs that gets stuck very easily in your head. Lyrically the track
focuses on the girls telling guys to move and dance if they want to get their
attention, cause the guys should be the ones to make the first move and should
just let loose. The lyrics are snappy and full of great hooks, with the line
‘feeling like it’s my birthday, like Christmas day came early’ being a cheesy
but fun and attention grabbing section of the chorus. The vocals are strong
here, with the song being particularly good in showing of some of the power in
the girls voice, particularly member Perrie Edwards. The sound of the track is
also fun and intriguing, utilising a clicking production that brings an
acapella edge to the song and entwining this quirky bass synth to create the
perfect sound for you to dance to that is that bit more interesting than
typical get on the dance floor music.
4.5/5
Track 3- Little Me
Geared for release as the records second single, Little Me
ventures further into an RnB state than the previous tracks and acts as an
empowering anthem for both the girls and their fans. Here we find the girls wishing
that they could tell their younger selves some good advice like speak out,
because at that age they just couldn’t see that they could be strong, powerful
women. The message isn’t original but it is done with such finesse and is
designed as a smooth RnB classic that speaks to the groups fans beautifully and
is well worthy of its status as a single. The harmonies are tight and the
vocals have slinky quality whilst also sounding defiant and passionate, which
is all you want from this song. And with the stomping bass, lush string
melodies and snappy rhythm of the production, this is a great new song that
shows a lovely maturity from the group.
4/5
Track 4- Nothing
Feels Like You
A carnival sounding up tempo number, Nothing Feels You
continues the RnB edge of the group going but is also a song more akin to some
of their previous material, with the song reminding me of their previous track
Stereo Soldier. However, that isn’t to say this is just a carbon copy, and it
is a catchy tune in its own right, where we find the girls telling this guy
that no other men compare because his love is so great. The vocals are strong
but are particularly great in terms of the second half of the chorus as we get
to hear the girls blend together really nicely within the higher registers of
their voices, with this also nicely occurring in the bridge. With a sweet and
catchy chorus and some snappy production with some powerful drums, this is a
stomping and sweet track.
3.5/5
Track 5- Towers
The first piece of balladry on the record, Towers is a
record that is a little bit by numbers RnB pop, but it still has a catchy feel
and definitely leaves an impression after a few listens. The song finds the
girls telling this boy that they could have had it all but he just left it too
long to show his true feelings and now they are just in this state where their
walls are up for good. Vocally I think the song is nice in terms of hearing the
individual voices of the group and how they can equally convey the songs
emotion very well, before they really come together to make things feel that
bit more powerful. The production of the track is smooth and classic in a good
way, with a lush piano melody and a strong sound that builds into a lovely
crescendo of drums and strings.
3.5/5
Track 6- Competition
Competition is a song that definitely feels like the girls
have been listening to some 90’s girl groups, as the song fits right into that
era. But at a point where there is a resurgence of an 80’s and 90’s music sound
in the industry, Competition could be a fun and feisty single treat. Here the
group sing of being tired of these boys’ foolish ways and how they like
competition sometimes but it isn’t great to be constantly in an annoying
relationship. The vocals are good in that they don’t feel the need to belt too
much and instead focus on really putting some good old fashioned sass into the
music, whilst horns and snappy percussion of the production perfectly
compliments the tracks feisty lyrics.
3.5/5
Track 7-These Four
Walls
Another ballad from the group, These Four Walls is the
emotional centrepiece of the record in term of not only its placement on the
album but also in terms of how things are kept very vulnerable with the use of
piano and strings, whilst the girls’ voices are pure and brimming with emotion.
The girls are here singing of how they cannot help but be caught up in the
heartbreak they are suffering within the end of this relationship, with the
girls probably embodying the thoughts of many heartbroken girls the world over.
The songs vocals are stunning, with each girl being superb in their own little
sections before coming together at the end to give us a great, harmonies are
superb finish. Keeping things simple and stirring with the slowly building
production is great, and with this song you can definitely see why Little Mix
are a bit superior to other girl groups at the moment.
4/5
Track 8- About the
Boy
Taking things back to a snappier, urban flavoured state,
About the Boy finds the girls telling us about this guy who has made them a bit
of a fool in love because there is just something about him. The lyrical
repetition is catchy and adds nicely to the song lyrical love rush state,
whilst the vocals are good in the way that they are quite soft and simple with
rich harmonies, whilst member Perrie Edwards hits a huge high note at the end
of the bridge which is just amazing. The snappy production with its bouncy
guitar riffs and fuzzy electronic beats make for a vibrant sound that perfectly
compliments the message of the track.
3.5/5
Track 9- Boy
Boy is a rich piece of 90’s girl group (particularly
Destiny’s Child) inspired RnB music that shows the girls giving us razor sharp
harmonies that simply shows their amazingness. The listener is treat to 54
seconds of acapella from the girls which is great, and then the plunky beats
kick in to bring an extra layer of intensity to the track. The lyrics are
snappy in themselves, as we find the group telling this girl to forget this boy
because he isn’t worth it and she is better than him, with this message being
loaded with sass by girls.
3.5/5
Track 10- Good Enough
Another ballad that is led by piano, Good Enough is
lyrically all about the girls becoming stronger after a bad relationship where
they were made to feel worthless, but they still question themselves and
whether they are ‘good enough’. The vocals are strong as always and the piano
and string production is nicely created to add emotional weight to the lyrics,
but out of the ballads on the album, this is probably the weakest one, and
could have been given a miss.
3/5
Track 11- Mr Loverboy
A buoyant piece of RnB pop, Mr Loverboy is fun and
flirtatious number where the girls exclaim of this boy making them feel so good
inside because he is just so great, and so they want him to be their ‘Mr
Loverboy’. The lyrics are maybe a tad clichéd, but the chorus is a solid pop
piece that is nicely elevated by the way the girls stretch out their vocals and
give us a slightly airier sounding chorus that makes the song even catchier.
The production is as snappy and catchy as ever, and the vocals are nicely
offset by the continual presence of a male vocal that just tightens up the
songs appeal and finesse that little bit more.
3.5/5
Track 12- A Different
Beat
Final track A Different Beat is a perfect end to the album,
with the song perfectly complimenting the opening number Salute through the use
of military snare drums and a ‘yea-h yea-h’ hook that makes a stomping, stand
to attention sound to the song. Here the girls sing of standing strong and
marching to a different beat that gives them the right to be their own person.
It is a positive message wrapped around snappy production and a feisty chorus,
with the vocals being great as usual.
3.5/5
Final Review
Salute is definitely a step in a great direction and an
improvement upon the groups very good debut album DNA. The blend of their
already defined pop sensibilities with more RnB orientated music works to great
effect, with the various producers of the album doing a great job of layering
the songs to make them really impactful and creating variety in the album
whilst also giving us a cohesive record. The girl’s harmonies are stronger than
ever and they really show off their voices well, whilst the lyrics are equally
as defined and catchy. This is a stellar album, and with this record Little Mix
proves why they are the reigning girl group of today’s generation.
9/10
Best Track- Move
Worst Track- Good
Enough
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