There was never any question that Little Mix should have won their turn in the Xfactor. Since then they've had a top 5 album here, a top 5 album in America and at the same time broken the record held by the Spice Girls. In just over a year they've achieved over 3 million record sales and become one of Britain's most popular pop acts. Their music's been great so far, but it's time to grow up a bit.
Following on from their debut album DNA, they're back with sophomore album Salute. This new album has a maturer sound, more confident vocal arrangements and some of the best chorus' you'll hear this year. Lead single 'Move' wasn't love at first listen, more like 3rd. That being said, it's definitely love now. It's a funky pop track with a throbbing bass line, an intricate & unconventional structure and more sass than we've heard from Little Mix before. When you compare this to its competition in the charts, it's the most standout track available at the moment.
The first thing I thought after playing through Salute for the 1st time was, Destiny's Child. The harmonies are akin to those of the three leading ladies of girl group pop/rnb. Tracks like 'Salute' and 'Nothing Feels Like You' feel like they could have been written for a later stage DC album. The latter starts off with a tribal drum arrangement and synths before exploding into a stunning soul packed chorus, becoming the album's most exciting track after 1 play. It's 'Boy' that really shows a DC influence though, with intricate rapid fire lyrics and a harmonious chorus. It never feels like they're trying to be Beyonce, Kelly & Michelle though. They perform each song with so much confidence it'd be impossible to deny them ownership of this more grown up, fresh identity.
There's a strong 90s rnb vibe on Salute. 'Competition' is a retro inspired track bursting with sassiness and 'Mr Loverboy' fires you right back in time with its streetwise bouncy production and incredible vocal arrangement. This retro undertone will certainly gain them a more mature fan base - it definitely takes me back and the self assurance levels are sent skyward as the girls confidently sing on 'About the Boy'.
Salute wouldn't be complete without some ballads. The girls' new found maturity coupled with insanely good writing and production makes these some of the best ballads you'll hear for years to come. They sing about relationship breakdowns and emotional hardship on 'These Four Walls', the most stripped moment on Salute, which features an exhilarating finale and an impressive performance from Perry. It's 'Little Me' that really takes things up to the next level though, with a bridge that teases something special is coming and oh shit does it come.
If you're one of the people who said you'd never listen to a full Little Mix album, then you could have skipped through some of DNA. However, Salute stands out so strikingly from its peer albums it's a real surprise of 2013 and I defy you not to enjoy it. There's not one filler, not one mediocre track. In fact all the tracks deserve at least 4 out of 5. If there was an album that could reestablish the girl group as a necessity of contemporary pop music, Salute is that album.
5/5
Download: Little Me / Move / Nothing Feels Like You / Boy
No comments :
Post a Comment