|
Slicker
than, well, an oil slick and no less greasy, Popstars: the album follows in the
wake of the TV show’s fait du complice when Danny, Kym, Noel, Myleene and
Suzanne were plucked from obscurity and single mothers benefits to become this
year’s big marketing ploy.
Pure
& Simple, whilst it was no great shakes and more than aided and abetted by
All Saints Never Ever, did have that ‘against all odds’ feel to it that made
the rooting for the gang of ordinaries all more epic. Ironically the odds were
stacked firmly in favour of Hear’say once the corporate machines worked a 6
weeks album. But like that Sunday night, post Glenroe scribbled homework effort;
the 6 weeks really do show.
Things
start out ok: The Way To Your Love could be any one’s pop with its solid with
pleasant Steps mime-along moments. One Step Close is quite funky, Kym all sassy
chick lifting the song’s spirits but unfortunately no-one else’s; Noel
seemingly lost at the bottom of a ‘I should sound more black, right?’ vocal
barrel and Danny unable to strike out on his own.
Elsewhere
you can almost hear the producers saying do this one like S
Club/Destiny’s/Steps/take your pick. Imitation is coupled with a lack of
decent pop hooks that grab your brain and strangle it into submission as only S
Club/Destiny’s/Steps/take your pick can. So whilst you can pick out a Steps
song at 20 paces, a Hear’say song has no such magic formula or branding of its
own, just nicked the ghosts of everyone else’s.
The
only brand Hear’say can latch onto is the association with the TV show. Try
this they do, finishing the intermittent wafer thin rip offs with the incredibly
tacky Monday Monday and the unlistenable ‘remember this from the show,
kids?’ Bridge Over Troubled Waters.
With
the TV show having run its course this album is a mere (money spinning)
afterthought. Of course it’s musically defunct and devoid of any soul.
But then it was never really about the music was it? So don’t buy it;
go grab yourself a nice Noel poster instead. Isn’t that the real (and much
more pleasant) point of the game?
Review
by Colin
|
Track
Listing |
|
1. Pure And Simple
2. The Way To Your Love
3. One Step close
4. Another Lover
5. One
6. Not The Kind
7. Make It Happen
8. Breathe
9. Carried Away
10. Sweet Alibi
11. I Didn't Want You Anyway
12. Colourblind
13. Love Will Never End
14. Monday Monday
15. Bridge Over troubled Water |
|
