Decent but not spectacular (Bring It On - Alistair Griffin)

Member Name: dippykitty

Product:	Bring It On - Alistair Griffin
Date:	08/06/09 (17 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some good catchy up-tempo offerings, a couple of nice ballads, mostly self written

Disadvantages: The covers are bland, the Robin Gibb duet is weak

Alistair was a contestant on BBC reality tv show Fame Academy and finished as runner-up to Alex Parks. This was his first (and as far as I know, his only) album, which he was heavily involved in writing. The majority of the tracks here are original, but there are a few covers mixed in too.

***Bring It On***
The album's title track is pretty typical of the album as a whole. It is a decent, if unspectacular, pop track that is vaguely catchy in the chorus and has lyrics that are not particularly special.

***Painkiller***
This track is much more catchy than the previous track and is a more impressive demonstration of Alistair's songwriting skills. For me, this is one of the best tracks on the album and would have made a better single option than You And Me Tonight (which features a bit later on the tracklisting) as it is more commercial and radio-friendly.

***Oblivion***
This is another fairly catchy track that probably isn't quite as radio-friendly as Painkiller but it is still commercial. Whereas Painkiller is predominantly a mid-tempo track, this is a more upbeat and energetic offering.

***You And Me Tonight***
This is the first slow track on the album and is a lovely ballad. Although it is a really nice song, it didn't (and still doesn't) strike me as the best choice for a single as it isn't a particularly commercial track. It's nice to hear a softer side to him after several commercial sounding tracks.

***Hungry For Love***
This is another of the fairly catchy and commercial tracks, and is along similar lines to Painkiller, Bring It On and Oblivion.

***Real World***
This is another of the up-tempo tracks. I wasn't that keen on it at first but it quickly grew on me and became catchy.

***Feeling Alive***
This is a more mellow track than most of the tracks so far (with the exception of You And Me Tonight). It isn't quite a ballad, but it is a fairly soft track.

***Something About Her***
This track has a bit of a summery feel about it, but is less catchy than some of the other tracks on the album.

***My Lover's Prayer***
This track is a duet with Bee Gee member Robin Gibb (who was a judge on Fame Academy). It is the weakest track on the album for me and is very bland.

***Jealous Guy***
This is the first of the cover versions, and it's another track that I find quite bland. It's fairly well sung but there's just something lacking in this version for me, and that's even without comparing it to the original.

***In Your Smile***
This is another of the more mellow tracks on the album, although it is a bit more up-tempo than Feeling Alive.

***Everything I Own***
This is another cover version that I find bland and boring.

***Wherever You Will Go***
The last of the covers is quite similar to The Calling's original version, but lacks the pop-rock edge that the original had. At times, the vocals sound a bit nasal.

***A Heart Can't Lie**
The closing track of the album is a heartfelt ballad that was co-written by fellow Fame Academy contestant Louise Griffiths (otherwise known as Jenson Button's ex-fiancee). She also does some of the backing vocals on the track. It is lovely and well sung track with some emotional lyrics.

***Overall Thoughts***
All in all, this is a decent album that contains some catchy and commercial tracks, and some nice ballads. It's not a spectacular album by any means and there is one duff track (the Robin Gibb duet). I'm not wild about the covers and find them bland and dull. I would have preferred to have had four extra original tracks than the obligatory covers as I don't feel that they add anything to the album in general.

Summary: A fairly good and predominantly self-penned pop album