Album- Word of Mouth
Artist- The Wanted
The Wanted have become one of the leading boy bands in the
UK music scene today, and with the success of their single ‘Glad You Came’, the
band is also slowing rising up to become a big, dominating music force. But
whilst they are really successful internationally, they do still have a long
way to go to achieve mega success, and as such, their third studio album but
international debut album Word of Mouth looks to not only capitalise on the
groups success but to push them to become bigger artist. The question is, is
this a good enough album, or will people just quickly become bored of The
Wanted?
Track 1- We Own the
Night
Opening track and third single We Own the Night is an upbeat
pop number that finds the band in a state of revelry. Here the group sing of
owning the night and having their drinks full, giving us a simple and catchy
chorus but ultimately failing to pull of the idea of an awesome party tune
through the use of clichéd lyrical statements. Vocally things are kept soft and
simple with member Max George carrying the chorus well, but aside from the
annoying ‘da da da da’ hook it doesn’t totally feel like we are listening to a
group that fully gels. The pop production is bit more acoustically driven than
some of their other material with a cool guitar base and some stomping drum
beats to make the production fun and easily the best element of the track.
3/5
Track 2- In the
Middle
In the Middle has some clunky lyrical choices from the
beginning and doesn’t quite manage to pull of its love based theme as the group
sing of keeping nothing in the middle between them and this girl and staying
faithful in love. The backing of the track features a stomping beat that slowly
builds in intensity and although it is an intriguing sound, it kind of feels a
bit too much like a rip off of the sound of their debut single All Time Low. At
times the vocals are ok but at others weird notes are hit from different
members that show their vocal weaknesses and makes for an uncomfortable listen,
and this just feels like a track put on the record for the need for more songs.
2/5
Track 3- Running Out
of Reasons
An acoustically driven, bouncy pop number that finds the
group in a typical boy band love state, Running Out of Reasons focuses on the
group singing about this girl not having any more reasons to not let go and
just fall in love with them. The song is lyrically stronger with a pure and
simple chorus that is all round catchy, whilst the vocals are stronger in just
keeping things light and allowing the groups charisma to come through. The
preppy upbeat tempo of the guitar riff and the shiny pop sound works well with
the songs sentiment, however it does work a bit like a typical pop sound in
today’s music and so lacks the pizazz that could make it a future single option.
3.5/5
Track 4- I Found You
An upbeat dance pop number that has a prominent summer in
Ibiza vibe, I Found You is probably one of the more love them or hate them
single choices from the album. The lyrics are all about the guys wanting to
have fun with this confident girl and expressing how they have found her and
just want her all the time now. The verses are strong and the guys pull of
their sensual charm well, but then the chorus kicks in with its annoying
repetition and clichéd statements, whilst the guys vocals go into this weird,
higher key that is like ‘woah who in the studio actually let them do that and
think it was good’. The frenzied electro rhythms of the track create a
prominent dance feel to the track that makes it a prime song for Friday nights
at a club, but in a wider perspective it is a typical Eurodance sound that gets
boring after a few listens.
3/5
Track 5- Show Me Love
(America)
The only ballad from the album that has been a single so
far, Show Me Love finds the boys trying to tug on our heartstrings amidst a sea
of a stomping bass drum and grand string arrangements. The song lyrically
focuses on the end of this relationship where the guys express how if this girl
had just shown her love for her guy then she would have a great relationship
with him now. The America reference feels like the group is too obviously
trying to break that market, but apart from that lyrics are strong with a hard
hitting, catchy chorus. The vocals are stronger here with members Max George
and Nathan Sykes being particular stand outs in terms of their strong ad libs,
and whilst the sound of the record gives a typical boy band with a hint of
Michael Buble sound to the track, the song could have been much worse and much
more annoying.
3.5/5
Track 6- Walks Like Rihanna
Another song that is a bit of a love hate tune, Walks Like
Rihanna finds the group taking inspiration from one of the biggest stars in the
world, as they sing about this girl not being able to dance or sing or
basically function well, but who cares cause she walks like rihanna. The lyrics
shouldn’t really wrok but they kind of do, even though you kind of question
what they mean, cause who actually thinks rihanna has this way only she walks?
Aside from this the vocals are strong and they even manage to make the clichéd
‘our hearts go boom, boom’ line work, whilst the pure pop sound of the track
courtesy of mega producer Dr Luke sounds light and fresh. It is just an
indulgent slice of pop that fans will eat up, and for others it will probably
be a guilty pleasure.
3.5/5
Track 7- Summer Alive
With a title like Summer Alive this tune is automatically
positioned as potential summer party dance track, and that exactly what it
tries to be. The problem is that it is so clichéd and typical of the genre that
it fails, whilst the two fold element of the chorus is just weird. The song
finds the group telling this person that they make them feel alive and in this
summer they are having the best time, but the lyrics borrow from every other
kind of summer pop track that it is just purely unoriginal and annoying. The
vocals are also weaker here and lack personality, with the Auto Tuned moments
just trying to salvage something that can’t be made better. The dance rhythms
of the track are also unoriginal and henceforth equally as boring, and I can’t
help but question how this made the record.
1.5/5
Track 8- Love Sewn
After that failed attempt at a strong dance track the group
turn to some soppy boy band balladry with Love Sewn. Backed by a twinkling
piano melody and heavy drum beats that make for an emotionally building sound, the
song focuses on the group expressing love for this girl but highlighting that
the relationship has been in turmoil and that it is at the point where they are
just slipping away from each other. The use of the sewing metaphor is a bit
naff but the lyrics are more interesting than some of their tracks, and
although the vocals do need work, the song does feel more like a group in tune
with one another, and it is nice to hear some elements of their higher
registers within the song.
3/5
Track 9- Glow in the
Dark
Going back to a more dance ready sound, Glow in Dark
features a heavy club beat and an EDM sound that will work well in the clubs
and which nicely changes up the groups sound, but it doesn’t thrill you in the
way that the group really need to. The post chorus breakdown is cool but the
subdued verses just feel to typical of the genre, and the message of the lyrics
about this girl glowing in the dark and capturing the boys attention sounds as
boring as it reads. The vocals give an inoffensive air to the track but also
don’t do anything to elevate the track and so feel useless, whilst the final 30
seconds of the track just kind of feel like the group gave up.
2.5/5
Track 10- Demons
If there is one thing about this album it is that it
definitely shows some versatility from the group, as Demons finds them
transition from the dance music of the previous song to a more guitar heavy pop
sound. But whilst that is interesting to note, the actually rhythm of the
guitar and the hand clapping pop sensibility is another kind of sound that
pilfers to readily from typical pop music songs, whilst the idea of the group
having these demons in their head over this girl just once again produces lyrics
that are unappealing and which create this lack of a catchy chorus. The chorus
is slightly stronger in terms of the passionate vocals but it is offset by the
lack of impact the verses make.
2.5/5
Track 11- Could This
Be Love
UK promotional single Could This Be Love once again puts the
group back into a we are a group that find themselves in love and are going to
go all soppy because of its territory. It is an annoying prospect, but
sometimes you kind of just have to go with that sort of thing, and this time
round it isn’t that bad. The message of being in this great relationship where
you feel like you might just in love is nothing original but the light purity
of the track offsets its clichéd qualities, whilst the chorus brings back the
group’s ability to produce a catchy song. Initially the song fools you into
thinking it is an annoying ballad before the drums kick in and we are given a
more upbeat feel to the track that brings a nice sense of euphoria. And the
vocals are good, giving the song a light airiness and transitioning well
between the verses and the chorus.
3.5/5
Track 12- Everybody
Knows
From the opening piano note, Everybody Knows is a song that
you know can be nothing but your usual boy band ballad, complete with swirling
strings and a typical guitar riff that such ballads have used for a while. Here
the group sings about how apparently everyone knows the pain they are going
through over this girl whilst she just doesn’t care, a message that is simple
and effective but could have been stronger with some more personal, deeper
feeling lyrics that cut to the heart, whilst the vocals just kind of leave you
thinking ‘awww poor them’ rather than ‘wow these guys are actually really
hurting and that is cool to hear’
1.5/5
Track 13- Heartbreak
Story
The balladry continues with Heartbreak Story, but instead of
the boys being the ones suffering from heartbreak, they switch things up and
become the consoling, shoulder to cry on who doesn’t want this girl to suffer
and will help her learn to love again by loving her so deeply. The ballad is
stronger in keeping things much more sparse with the production and allowing
the groups soft, airy vocals to come through more potently. The theme of the
track is something that the group have already covered a bit in their previous
song ‘Heart Vacancy’ and so they can seem like a bit of a one trick poetry, but
the intent is sweet and impactful and the lyrics are sort of poetical in their
own way.
3/5
Track 14- Chasing the
Sun
Ending the album is the thumping dance pop tune Chasing the
Sun, which was crazily the records first single released a year and a half
before the album. The song focuses on the group feeling alive and apparently
chasing the sun because they rock, and although the lyrics are maybe a tad egotistical,
the chorus is catchy and the subdued verses build up to a give the chorus more
oomph. Charisma characterises the groups vocals on this track and they just
sound like they are having fun, which makes the track more infectious for the
listener. And with a simmering dance beat that will make you want to move, you
can still see why this was a good single choice all that time ago.
3.5/5
Final Review
With a bad title that makes no sense, The Wanted’s first
international record is a poor assembly of radio friendly chart sounds that do
nothing to make you actually wanting to invest your time in the group. The
singles are all right and sometimes the pop sensibilities of the group shine
through nicely, but other times we get a mix of awkward production that tries
to be cool, lyrics that are so annoyingly clichéd it is ridiculous, and vocals
that now lack the charisma that once defined the group. This album is actually
the record the group took the longest to perfect apparently, but something
definitely seems to have gone wrong in their understanding of their own album,
and if I was their management I would take some serious control and make them
try and produce some good material.
3.5/10
Best Track- Walks
Like Rihanna
Worst Track- Summer
Alive
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