So, while the ebullient ‘Girls’ gets right in-your-face with the new Sugababes agenda - ‘All independent women know/It takes a lot to run the show/I am the fire and the coal/I am a woman in control’ speaks for itself, wouldn’t you say? - other highlights from their most artful, sophisticated and eclectic collection so far provide the more subtle dimensions. Robyn producer Klass Ahlund brings that Swedish genius for high concept-pop to the table with the self-referential reinvention of vintage Motown of the bittersweet ‘You On A Good Day‘, and the extraordinary, darkly comic Abba-meets-street-beats drama that is ‘Murder One‘, where Heidi relishes the opportunity to play the ultimate Black Widow. Amelle takes an edgy lead on Klaus’s superbly creepy, G-funk-tinged ‘Beware’ and the tear-stained minimalism of ‘We Can Call A Truce‘.
The ‘Babes and Duffy collaborator Steve Booker were always going to be a perfect fit: ‘Sunday Rain’ is a torchy orchestral epic, full of melodrama and agony, and ‘Sound Of Goodbye’ sees Keisha and Booker making sweet music together. ‘Denial’ producers Invisible Men take the girls to the feminist funk high ground with the delicious ‘No Can Do‘, built on the tough and tender riff from rare groove masterpiece ‘Yes, Its You’ by Sweet Charles. And Hanging On A Star? Pure girl-group disco magic.
All prove that The Sugababes have taken yet another giant leap forward. Because the girls are well aware that, unlike their pure pop peers, the Sugababes mean something to people. Push The Button, Freak Like Me, Overload… these were era-defining records that transcended the boring stuff about units shifted and celebrity recognition and defined big moments in our lives. The new record is about bringing all those definitive Sugababes moments back, making them brand new, and cramming them all into one classic album. Commercial success isn’t enough for Keisha, Heidi and Amelle… they want people who live and breathe music to be blown away by them again.
Six albums is unheard of unless you’re a rock act. The new tracks explain why Sugababes have such staying power, and why you’ll be gagging to hear albums seven and eight.
Sounds very promising. Can't wait to hear the album...^^
