Is it just us, or are Girls Aloud - and Cheryl in particular - on the verge of becoming national treasures? Sexy yes, yes, yes, the reality TV queens are now onto their fifth studio album, with the press release informing us that Out Of Control is set to “take pop music to places it’s never been before…” RealMusic Blog raises one cautious eyebrow to that, but we have to admit that even before this album hit our ears, we had high hopes: Tangled Up production team Xenomania were at the helm and the Pet Shop Boys had chipped in a track. Current pop svengalis + 80s pop kings = pop heaven, surely?
It all kicks off with The Promise, which you’ve probably heard plastered all over the UK airwaves. It sees the Fab Five sailing away on a 60s vibe, all sparkly dresses and shoop-shoops a-go-go. Love Is The Key jumps on that bandwagon too, but as with all Girls Aloud long-players, the tempos and eras are spun around at will. Miss You Bow Wow is a lyrically challenged slab of fast-paced mayhem, while Fix Me Up sees the GA sass fizz to the surface, as the girls warble “yo baby babe” and go on about needing their medicine. Love Is Pain should also be a single, with its 80s overload and grinding chorus; while Rolling Back The Rivers and Pet Shop Boys’ track Loving Kind are both mid-tempo steppers, with a chilled out pop vibe laying itself open to the girls’ sleek harmonies. This is the sound of five girls cooking on confidence.
Sure, there are some dubious moments, Live In the Country and We Wanna Party being surefire filler tracks. Plus, Revolution In The Head, with its ragga, dancehall beats takes some listening - but give it time and you might be won over. In the final analysis though, Girls Aloud have the X factor. This is a laidback, polished pop package with songs that run the full gamut of emotions. It ain’t ground-breaking, but for modern-day pop perfection not many others come close.
Listen to Girls Aloud Radio on RealMusic
Girls Aloud’s Out Of Control is out on Monday November 3rd.
(Clare Lydon)
