Wednesday, 1 January 2014

Pixie Lott- Young Foolish Happy Album Review


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Album- Young Foolish Happy
Artist- Pixie Lott

Pixie Lott is a British pop star that seems to be an artist who goes away for a while and then comes back for another round of chart success. After being away for over a year the singer is set to release new single ‘Nasty’ in 2014, and her third studio album. The singer previously went away for a year before releasing her second studio album. But whilst Young Foolish Happy did produce a UK number one single and two more top ten hits, the record only reached number 18 in the UK music chart, and only sold enough to be certified gold, a far cry from the heights of her double platinum debut. Was Young Foolish Happy really that bad an album? Or is Pixie Lott really going to have perform much better for her third studio album to do better?

Track 1- Come Get It Now

Opening track Come Get It Now is a funky, snappy pop number in which the singer tells her lover that he is moving too slow and if he wants her then he just needs to grab her now or never. The song is a simple opening to the record with a nice chorus and some soft, sultry vocals from Lott who plays her role within the track well. The funky percussion and blasts of horns creates a shiny pop sound with a hint of soul, and this works well with the feisty message of the song, although the background vocals are just really annoying, and the song tails off a bit in quality towards the end to make it feel like we are listening to an incomplete version.

3/5

Track 2- All About Tonight

Lead single All About Tonight is a fun, up tempo dance pop number in which the singer tells the listener of how she is hitting the town and dancing in her new pair of shoes, because tonight is going to be an amazing night. Lyrically the track is quite clichéd but the chorus is catchy, whilst vocally Lott imbues the track with enough vitality and personality to make this a nice party track, even if it is safe in its sentiment. The songs vocals are slightly annoying where Auto Tune is used, but this is made up for with the light pop sound that incorporates bubbly synth notes and stomping disco rhythms, creating a frivolous edge to the track that is once again safe but enjoyable, and makes the song a potential guilty pleasure for some people.

3.5/5

Track 3- What Do You Take Me For? (featuring Pusha T)

What Do You Take Me For finds Lott taking herself into new territory as she imbues her pop sound with a flavouring of RnB and hip hop. Here the singer tells her man of how she is sick of the way that he is acting, with the song having a sultry but venomous quality as Lott seemingly also calls out her man for thinking that she is cheap. The song is lyrically strong with a good pop hook, whilst vocally the track is nice in terms of the singer showing a different side to herself and playing the fierce, I won’t take this role very well. The layered style of the vocal is also lovely to listen to, whilst Pusha T’s rap is fun if not entirely necessary. Production wise the song nicely melds blasting horns with a thumping, grinding bassline that gives the track a nice, sleek, urban pop sheen.

3.5/5

Track 4- Nobody Does It Better

Nobody Does It Better takes things back to the soul pop of the records beginning, but also has more of trippy disco feel. The song finds Lott telling her beau of how wherever they go they will be fine because nobody’s relationship is better than theirs. The message is annoyingly clichéd and lacks the pop pizazz of the former tracks, whilst vocally Lott’s fun personality doesn’t shine. She sings in the right way but lacks the charm that is needed, whilst the ‘na na na’ hook in the chorus is just annoying. The only really good thing about the track is the production with the quirky, squiggly beats and stomping disco rhythms that give a fun dance sensibility to the track.

2.5/5

Track 5- Kiss the Stars

With Kiss the Stars Lott takes things to a simpler level, giving us a nice synth and dance pop based track. Lyrically the song focuses on Lott telling this person that they are so great together that they can kiss the stars and show the whole world that they are in love. The verses are nice and the song has a really catchy pop chorus, whilst the vocals are strong as the singers bright personality comes through more prominently. The vocals are annoying in terms of the use of Auto Tune, but the singers belting out of the chorus adds an extra kick to the song. Production wise things are simple with the shimmering synths and stomping bass, and although the dubstep inspired breakdown in the bridge is maybe a bit annoying in terms of following trends, the sound is overall pure and effective in getting you to want to dance.

3.5/5

Track 6- Stevie on the Radio

Lott shows of her love for Motown with Stevie on the Radio, a swaying, snappy track that feels like it could have been recorded in the 60’s. What is great about this song is that the beats are a bit harsher and bigger, whilst the sound is kept quite simplistic with the drums and horns, creating a bright and vibrant sound that is nice to just sway along to. Vocally Lott is much stronger with this song, showing off her voice more and adding power to the chorus that shows she doesn’t necessarily need the Auto Tune tool. The lyrics are fun and simple as Lott conveys this young and we don’t care sensibility, whilst also wrapping the song up into a Stevie Wonder tribute. The harmonica solo in the bridge is also just awesome, and with this track the singer shows that she has some worth as an artist.

3.5/5

Track 7- Everybody Hurts Sometimes

The records first ballad, Everybody Hurts Sometimes finds the singer in a broken state but picking herself up and coming to the realisation that everybody hurts at some point in life. The lyrics are just full of clichés and the whole message of the song has been said before in pop music, and done much better. The vocals are nice in that the simple sound of the track allows the singers full voice to shine, but the vocals are also shown to need work as some sections just sound whiny. The songs simple arrangement of piano and strings bodes well with the lyrical message, but this is an equally safe and bland element of the song that marks this as a very poor ballad.

1.5/5

Track 8- Dancing on My Own (featuring Marty James)

American singer songwriter Marty James jumps on board for Dancing on My Own, a mid tempo pop track that features RnB infused beats that are snappy and simple. The song focuses on Lott and James in this relationship where things are going in different directions, and now Lott is dancing on her own, whilst James reassures her that he is coming back. The song is slightly awkward in terms of the clichéd sentiment of dancing on your own, but the slight rap like presence of James makes the song a bit more powerful and turns it into a slightly sweet love song. The two artists meld together nicely in terms of their vocal performances, and the ‘play one more song’ hook is really great. The way that the production builds up with the snappy beats and strings makes for an emotional but steady sound that works well with what the lyrics are trying to convey.

3.5/5

Track 9- Love You to Death

Love You to Death is a mid tempo pop ballad in which Lott plays the role of an emotionally suffering girl who feels like she is giving her all in this relationship and loving this boy to death, yet this boy will not respond in kind. The song could potentially be really bland but the lyrics are quite pure and sophisticated, whilst the simple chorus is catchy. Vocally this is a smart song as Lott shows different styles within the track, with the pre chorus being fast and snappy before the big chorus kicks in and the singer can really reach for some high notes. The production value on the track is also good with a simple piano melody and thumping drums, with a slight flourish of electric guitar.

3.5/5

Track 10- Birthday

Slightly more of a pure pop track and taking things back to a happier state, Birthday focuses on Lott telling this boy that although he took his time, he is finally with her, and he is making her feel like it is her birthday. The use of the idea of a birthday brings a sweetness to the song, and although the chorus is bland in terms of being too long, the ‘oh oh oh oh’ hook is really catchy. Vocally the song is smart as the layered style brings out the love filled message very nicely, although the bleeped out swearing in the bridge just seems really stupid. Producers The Invisible Men create a laidback feel to the track with the guitar riffs and drumbeats, giving the song a slight summery feel but more just feeling like something you can really sway and chill along to.

3.5/5

Track 11- Bright Lights (Good Life) (Part II) (with Tinchy Stryder)

The sequel to the singers featured performance on the Tinchy Stryder single ‘Bright Lights’, this track is strange in that it is actually a sequel to a song but was released before the first track. Here we find Lott and Stryder taking on different perspectives concerning their feelings in the city, with Lott feeling lost and unsure of life but assuring herself that she will find her way. The song is lyrically powerful with a solid pop chorus, and Lott gives us a passionate vocal performance that really builds on the tracks lyrical emotions. Unlike the original track this sequel is a bit more organic in composition, focusing on the use of piano and strings with some military style drumbeats. This sound works really well, particularly in showing off Lott’s voice, and really the only problem with the song is that Stryder’s opening rap just feels a bit pointless.

3.5/5

Track 12- Perfect

Things are taken back to more of a soul pop influenced sound with the bouncy piano rhythms of Perfect. Here Lott sings of how she will always be looking for this boy and will stay with him because he makes things perfect. It is a bland statement that is sadly just full of clichés, and Lott’s soft and lilting vocal performance isn’t enough to charm the listener or make you think that she is really sincere. The stabs of strings and jaunty piano are intriguing, and the guitar solo of the middle section is vibrant enough for the sound of this track to save the song and keep you more engaged.

3/5

Track 13- You Win

Featuring a writing credit from soul and RnB star John Legend, You Win is a soft, mid tempo soul pop ballad that finds the singer in a battling relationship, but in a good way. Here Lott states that she wasn’t going to turn out this way but this boy has changed the game and now she just loves him. The song borders on cliché but is nice in the way that the singer utilises this battle metaphor and doesn’t play the role of a typical girl who falls head over heels in love, but instead she is a girl who has taken time to love. The soft tambourine, strings and piano just creates a lush, subdued rhythm to the song that feels in tune with the tracks message, and the vocal performance is really great as the singer keeps things simple and controlled, whilst the layering of Lott’s voice adds an extra edge to the track.

3.5/5

Track 14- We Just Go On

Final track We Just Go On is a simple pop ballad that focuses on the singer questioning all the problems in life but emphasising that when things go wrong then you just carry on with your life. The message is nicely vulnerable but after a while the flurry of images just feels too bland and typical of this kind of empowering song. The songs sound builds in intensity with simmering piano melody and stirring guitar and string arrangement, but the sound equally feels typical of this kind of empowering song, with the track reminding me of the superior anthem of Who You Are by Jessie J. Indeed this song could be a rip off, and although vocally the singer is nice, she doesn’t convey enough passion, and this album should definitely not have ended with this.

2.5/5

Final Review

Pixie Lott has always been a good pop star, but the problem is that Young Foolish Happy is just a good album. A number of tracks are imbued with an infectious charm and have tightly structured, catchy lyrics that make for an enjoyable listening experience. But Lott’s charm can only get her so far, with some of the songs on the record being very poor in terms of clichéd lyrical statements and some poor vocal performances. Furthermore, the records sound is not quite consistent enough within the record. Although it is great to hear a diverse range of genres, the soul pop of some songs doesn’t quite sit as comfortably as you would want with the dance pop sound of other tracks. I think that Young Foolish Happy wasn’t terrible, but against Lott’s pop peers it doesn’t have enough going for it to stand out. Some of the singers charm from her debut record is also missing, and so her third studio album is definitely going to have to deliver more in a variety of aspects.

5/10

Best Track- What Do You Take Me For (featuring Pusha T)

Worst Track- Everybody Hurts Sometimes

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