Search - Girls Aloud :: Chemistry (Bonus CD)

Chemistry

Mark | Saugus, CA United States | 06/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's a shame that the finest pop act of this decade by far is not even known here in the States. After twelve consecutive top 10 singles in Britain and the unlikely praise of respectable rock critics who normally wouldn't even consider TV-made music groups as a sloppy after-thought, it's near rude to say that the UK's Girls Aloud deserve to go unnoticed. Their third album, Chemistry, is their finest effort yet, and no other record on the current pop map better illustrates a group with more personality and more edginess. The tracks here defy the rules of your typical pop song, and Girls Aloud's producers, the acclaimed production house Xenomania, do anything they possibly can to toss every concievable musical genre into the mix. And they succeed on all accounts. Everything from sultry electro ballads ("It's Magic") and snappy numbers that sound like they came straight from the '60s ("Waiting)", to the A-Ha-esque bounce of "Models" and the jangly guitars on "Long Hot Summer" make this a tour de force of how genius pop is made when it is both accessible and experimental. The crowning achievement, by far, is lead single "Biology". An unprecedented combo of three different songs packed into one furious package, it vamps, glides, and sasses along like no other mainstream pop track in recent memory. That track alone is well worth the purchase, but another surprising element of the Girls Aloud formula is the overwhelming lack of filler material. The ballads, as to be expected, are well worth skipping, but when it's back to the uptempo numbers and the musical mayhem begins to ensue all over again, you'll be sorely disappointed that they have yet to make their mark on America."

C6H12O6

Amanda Richards | Georgetown, Guyana | 01/29/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you remember your chemistry, C6H12O6 is the formula for Glucose, the simplest of sugars. So it is with this album, which is quite simply, a simple, sweet pop album from British girl group Girls Aloud.



Girls Aloud was formed in 2002 as a result of a TV talent show, but unlike many other reality TV performers, they have been very successful with eleven Top 10 singles in the UK, and all three of their albums hitting the charts on release. This one is their third album, with huge first single "Biology", and second single "See the Day" (a cover song) both going UK Top 10. "Whole Lotta History", a heartstring-tugging slow ballad may be the next single released. "Wild Horses" has a great intro, then switches into a bouncy dance number, and is one of the songs where they sound like the Spice Girls. No filler material here, but many of the songs sound alike.



With this kind of Chemistry, the new formula is:

Glucose(Pop) = Nadine + Sarah + Nicola + Cheryl + Kimberly (Girls Aloud)



Be sure to play it loud!!!



Amanda Richards, January 28, 2006

"

Girls Aloud's Greatest Album Yet

Hernan Igot | Maryland, USA | 04/05/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What is it with the water across the big pond? While USA may dominate the world with hip-hop-inflected mainstream music, UK and Europe have something the US can never quite master as cunningly as they do (their own secret weapon, per se): awesome pop music. Even though pop's been in a state of decline since the waning of the teen pop boom of the early '00s, ironically there have been acts that have pushed the boundaries of pop even more. Sugababes are one of them. Another great UK act is Girls Aloud. A sort of anomaly not only in pop world but also in reality TV, having been a totally manufactured girl group that rose to the ranks to become of UK's most credible and most successful mainstream acts today.



The scary thing is that within every new release, they only keep on getting better, as evidenced by this latest, greatest release. What makes "Chemistry" so amazing? Everything: it's an all-around good album. Even the ballads, Girls Aloud's main weakness, sound decent this time around. The Girls themselves have grown as entertainers, somehow magically gaining a boatload of charisma all of a sudden to back up their already explosive brand of day-glo pop. With stronger, more unpredictable dance-pop, "Chemistry" puts many recent pop releases to shame and dares to challenge the legitimacy of even the year's most praised albums. Here's a track-by-track review of the awesomeness that is "Chemistry":



1. "Intro" - Best intro I've heard in a while. Sounds like it could have been taken from Sugababes' "Red Dress," which only shows how much more awesome it could have been had it been a full-on rockin' dance-pop track.



2. "Models" - Very '80s, yet very contemporary-sounding quirky pop masterpiece. Off-kilter mainstream pop doesn't get as delectably sweet, yet as sassy and devious as this. Frenetic, bombastic, and unstoppable, and this is only the beginning.



3. "Biology" - Now THIS is what a 21st century pop track should sound like. It was recognized as one of the most critically acclaimed singles of 2005 not because it introduced a totally new sound. It actually borrows from A LOT of things, but that's what makes it extra special. The fact that it takes influences from jazz, ragtime, punk-pop, electro-pop, and bubblegum pop and mixes it all together into an awesome sonic orgy makes this one of the most ingenious pop tracks to grace the Earth in a while. Its unconventional multi-chorus song structure also helps with the unpredictability factor, making this stylistic evolution an even worthier one. Where else can you find a chorus this rousing (even though it takes nearly 2 minutes to finally explode to it) in 2005?



4. "Wild Horses" - After a few brilliant tracks past, why stop here? "Wild Horses" takes from a past hit, "Love Machine," and turns it upside down, adding chamber chorus vocals, train noise adlibs ("woo, woo"), extremely busy drumming, country Western noises, and even a slight videogame-esque feel to it all in another amazing track of pure pop brilliance.



5. "See The Day" - Okay, so after 4 extremely addictive uptempo tracks, it's time to take a breather with "See The Day." You can't help but take deep breaths with this one because even this slow track has overdramatic production: it's got crashing drums and a full backing vocal ensemble for a chorus. Now who would contest the fact that this track is a perfect, darker Christmas hit? Girls Aloud may still have a long way to go until they match Sugababes with being truly all-around pop greats, but for now their improvement in ballads is always welcomed.



6. "Watch Me Go" - A very naughty and cheeky pop track, aside from its lyrics, its feel is raw due to the clanking of the drums in the background. The quirky production in this makes this track even sassier and raunchier than it seems.



7. "Waiting" - More straightforward punk-pop track, but its a breath of fresh air coming from a totally manufactured dance-pop act. The Girls sing this with unmatched sass and attitude: a testament to their invincible camaraderie.



8. "Whole Lotta History" - Sweet-sounding, almost retro pop track from the juke joint eras. Probably a stronger ballad than "See The Day" just because it doesn't try to be sassy: in fact, its the opposite, showing that its out to melt hearts everywhere and be as gushy as anything being sent out to adult contemporary radio.



9. "Long Hot Summer" - Underrated lead single from the album, this sounds even better when grouped with a consistently strong batch of songs. The Bangles-esque feel to it mixed with the trademark crunchy electro-pop the Girls are so praised for makes this sound as addictive as ever. It's never too late to start liking a track this good all over again.



10. "Swinging London Town" - Probably one of the edgiest tracks on the album, if the other tracks only hinted at their attempts to be sexy, sultry, and sassy (try saying that 10 times in a row!), this one seals the deal by building itself all around those themes. The crunchy electro of the track sounds like if their past hit "Wake Me Up" would be more suited to a snobby socialite club atmosphere.



11. "It's Magic" - One of the most devilish tracks from the album ironically comes from one of its supposedly most innocent, quiet members, Nicola. Fronting the track, she proves that its the quiet ones that might be the naughtiest. With her soft, vulnerable, breathy vocals sashaying on top of an addictive skittering bubblegum beat, it all makes it sound almost too coy and lolita-ish: so bad, yet so good.



12. "No Regrets" - Probably the weakest ballad, it's pretty much seen as Nadine going solo. A Latin-esque feel combined with ambient atmospherics add a sense of wonder, romance, and mystery, and Nadine's strong vocals handle it pretty solidly. It's good, but it just doesn't stand out among the other innovative pop tracks that cram the album.



13. "Racy Lacey" - To end an album with a quick bang, Girls Aloud decide to bring out one more stomper. Just as though we thought the album was losing steam by the end, they bring this fun, bubbly, even naughtier track about a girl who's good at nothing but sex (hence the provocative lyrics - you gotta listen to them for yourself). A fun, extremely fast pop track that'll stay in your head until it stops abruptly, ending what is one of the best pop albums of 2005.



Every time I talk about this album, I get so worked up. I'm not alone: many UK critics have already put this album in the top spots of their favorite albums lists because it's just that damn good. Don't believe the hype? Go get it from yourself. If you truly love pop because of ability to be unabashedly anything it wants to be, then get this album. The world needs acts as vivacious and as interesting as Girls Aloud, even when they are this contrived and manufactured."