Tuesday, 14 January 2014

The Saturdays- Wordshaker Album Review


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Album- Wordshaker
Artist- The Saturdays

The Saturdays are one of the premium girl groups currently charting in today’s British music industry, with thirteen top ten singles to date and four top ten albums. However, if you are a late fan of the group, then for some reason you cannot download their second album Wordshaker on any digital download outlets. Whilst this is probably just because their next album featured some previous material from this record, could the potential reason be that this isn’t actually a good album?

Track 1- Forever Is Over

Forever Is Over opens the album up in a grand way, with the song being a big pop rock tinged affair co-written by ex-Busted member James Bourne and originally written for American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson. The song finds the group singing about how they wish they could change the past but they can’t, and now they are just excepting that the idea of being with this man forever is not possible. The song is lyrically sharp with a nice pop chorus, and the lyrics are fun in the way that you can see the girls as being both a bit vulnerable and a bit empowered. The vocals are good with member Vanessa White leading well in the chorus, and the blend of more prominent electric guitar and drums with flourishes of synths pushes the group into different musical territory that is more intriguing, but which still feels true to the band.

3.5/5

Track 2- Here Standing

After the burning intensity of the last track the girls completely change tact for Here Standing, a piano led ballad that focuses on the group being in this euphoric state of being and telling this person that they are the reason that they are standing and that life is so good. Although the lyrics lend themselves towards an immediate analysis of this song as a romantic track, in a way the lyrics are good because you can relate them to other people within your life. The vocals are nice as the slightly more stripped back verses allows for the individual voices to shine, whilst the girls harmonise well within the chorus. In terms of the production things are kept simple with the gorgeous piano melody and stomping drum beats, and although the sound is quite safe for this type of ballad, it is still an effective sound that is emotive enough, and this is definitely one of the finer ballad offerings from the group.

3.5/5

Track 3- Ego

Second single Ego finds the girls going back to their man bashing ways as they sing of how they used to be so great with this man, but now he has messed up because his ego has got the better of him. Lyrically the song is a smart slice of instantly catchy electro pop with a tightly structured chorus packed with some strong pop hooks. The vocals on this track are ok, with the girls imbuing a type of feisty personality into the song, however in places the use of Auto Tune detracts from the powerful nature of the song. Producer Steve Mac keeps things simple but vibrant with the blend of forceful dance beats and shimmering synth notes, creating this instantly fun sound that makes this a good single choice.

3.5/5

Track 4- No One

Taking things along the same man bashing lines of the previous track, No One is a synth heavy, mid tempo pop ballad in which the girls tell this guy of how they hope he understands that he is no one to them because they are sick of all the lies and the way he acts. The message is strong but the chorus lacks the catchy quality of the previous songs, and whilst the girls blend well together with their vocals, overall the song shows off some of the weakness of some members vocals, and it is definitely just one of the more inferior ballads from this group. The production of the track is also quite bland, with the stuttering synth rhythms just acting as this too simple base for a song that doesn’t really feel like it goes anywhere.

2/5

Track 5- One Shot

One Shot takes us back to more of an upbeat pop state, but the song is slightly more interesting in terms of the grinding bassline used in the production, a sound that immediately grabs your attention and emphasises the songs feisty nature. Here the girls sing of how they are constantly waiting for someone to make a move, and they tell this guy that they want him, but he should be careful as you only get one shot. The song is filled with a delicious pop chorus that has a strong hook, and vocally the piece is also strong as the girls definitely exude this sense of being powerful women, although the presence of the group as a whole does feel like it is lacking a bit.

3.5/5

Track 6- Wordshaker

Title track Wordshaker is another feisty pop piece that finds the girls telling this boy of how he is just this wordshaker, which in their terms means that he always says one thing but then takes it back, and just messes with their heads. The contrast of the slightly slower, almost languid feeling verses with the forceful and snappy chorus makes for a catchy quality to the song, whilst the groups vocals are definitely stronger as the harmonies feel slightly tighter and more focused. Although the equally grinding bassline and bubbly synth notes of the track feel a bit familiar coming after the similarly styled One Shot, the introduction of the electric guitar towards the end and the blend of notes means that the song still has enough going for it to feel different and be a good title track.

3.5/5

Track 7- Denial

Another mid tempo pop ballad, Denial is another emotive track in which the girls sing of how they gave their all in this relationship, but now they realise this boy isn’t good for them, and now they deny the fact that the relationship ever existed. The idea of denying a relationships existence is an interesting concept, and although the passion of the song is lacking a bit in terms of the girls slightly weak vocals, the blend of more simple pop instrumentation with the use of acoustic guitar and drums creates this powerful but also kind of light tone to the track that nicely captures the songs emotive essence.

2.5/5

Track 8- Open Up

From the defiant nature of Denial we turn to the forgiveness asking quality of Open Up. Here the girls seem to change roles for once and realise that they are the ones ruining a relationship, with the girls asking this boy to open up as they will be a good girl from now on. The song is smart and catchy in the way that the girls promise to be good girls and seemingly wish to not just open the door to their house, but also open up the door to this boy’s heart. However, in places the girls still seem like bad girls, and this just creates an interesting dynamic for the song. The blend of scattered electro swirls and punchy synths creates this feisty pop tone that feels instantly catchy and fun to dance around to, whilst the girls are vocally passionate and enthusiastic enough to make this a nice, personality driven piece.

3.5/5

Track 9- Lose Control

Probably the records most upbeat and energised number, Lose Control is a very fun dance pop track in which the girls tell us of how they use to be this type of girl, but upon seeing this boy they feel like they are just going to lose control, because this boy makes them feel like everything is right. Whilst it may not be the greatest idea in an age of feminism, the song is undeniably catchy, with a lush pop chorus that is full of hooks and which is just catchy in its pure intensity. The vocal harmonies on the ‘oooh’ is just great and overall the vocals on this track are really fine-tuned, with member Vanessa White providing some great ad libs to add an extra kick to the final chorus. Production wise the song features a vibrant blend of bubbly, grand synths and a feisty dance rhythm that will definitely just make you want to lose control and dance.

4/5

Track 10- Not Good Enough

The group changes the record up a bit with Not Good Enough, a mid tempo pop number that also has a slight RnB feel to it, and which was originally recorded for the groups debut album Chasing Lights. The song focuses on the group simply telling this person that all the flashy things he buys and the way that he sells himself is just not good enough for them, as they will not just be treat as a trophy. The song overall just acts as a sophisticated slice of pop where the girls seem to be really empowered both lyrically and vocally, whilst the production is also nice and interesting in terms of the blend of snappy hand claps and this acoustic guitar element that creates more of an RnB style to the groups sound, adding a richness to the song that makes the lyrical message feel more potent.

3.5/5

Track 11- Deeper

The only song on the record to feature writing credits from all of the group’s members, Deeper is a soppy mid tempo pop ballad with more of a light sound. The song focuses on the group realising that they may be moving too fast with this relationship, but their feelings are just going deeper and they are just in the throes of love. The song’s lyrics utilise a range of clichéd images and ideas that seriously affect the quality of the song, whilst the groups lighter vocals with the more falsetto led chorus just feels weak and unimpressive. The production is also too frenzied with the blend of drums and fuzzy synth beats, creating this over powering sound that should have been simplified.

2/5

Track 12- 2 Am

Final track 2 Am is a light synth pop offering from the group that closes the album in a romantic way. The song finds the girls singing of how they are in this state of sadness within their hearts, because their love is away from them and they just want him back. The song is a soppy slice of romantically focused pop that features some shiny synths and melodramatic vocal performances. However the harmonies in the track are quite nice, and although this definitely feels like a clichéd offering, the song does have this guilty pleasure quality.

3/5

Final Review

Wordshaker is a fun pop album that is packed with some nice tunes. The songs are lyrically strong with some catchy pop choruses and good hooks, whilst the vocals are vibrant enough to keep you interested. The production of the album is also really focused with a strong vein of electro pop that centres the girls in the right direction and makes for a cohesive record. However the album does have its issues, with the vocals feeling very weak for some of the tracks. In other songs there is a lack of a presence of the group as a whole, whilst some tracks are ruined by the use of clichés, and at times the production can feel just a bit scattered. The ballads are also definitely the weaker offerings from the record, being something that the group need to refine, and so if some of the tracks had been cut then this probably would have been a really lovely pop album. Yet it does remain a good album, and it maybe should be brought back to digital download availability.

5.5/10

Best Track- Lose Control

Worst Track- Deeper

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