The Spotlight Is Fading... (Catfights And Spotlights - Sugababes)

Member Name: GramiWay

Product:	Catfights And Spotlights - Sugababes
Date:	12/07/09 (76 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: One or two refreshing moments - 'Every Heart Broken' for example

Disadvantages: Poor lyrics and music, 'Girls'. No stand out songs

As we entered 2008, the Sugababes had further cemented their status as the UK's biggest girlband with the hugely successful single 'About You Now' and their fifth studio album 'Change'. Despite losing one of the band's founder members in Mutya Buena, it seemed that nothing could stop the Sugababes brand from continuing to dominate as 'About You Now' became the biggest hit of their 9 year career.

Fast forward 9 months and you have the Babes gearing up for the annual album release, just in time to line their fans Christmas stockings. 'Catfights & Spotlights' is their sixth album, a great achievement for any manufactured pop band, especially a girl group. What has always set the Sugababes apart from their rivals is that they've been individual. There are three unique voices all that work well in a genre of their own and all which blend together to create some truly memorable songs and give them a rougher edge than other pop groups.

Sadly, that spark seems to have fizzled out on 'Catfights & Spotlights' as the album in question sounds more like an album full of B-Sides that has been thrown together and rush released in time for the festive season with no real thought or hard work going into its contents. As a big Sugababes fan it's a massive let down and opens up the tricky question of whether or not they have lost their edge and are heading down the pop gutter...

Opening track and lead single 'Girls' is the most awful thing I've ever heard from the Babes. It samples that Ernie K. Doe track 'Here Come The Girls' which Boots use in their television adverts. However, it's been laced up with a dancier beat and a more seductive and energetic vibe. This does nothing to change the fact that the song is completely crap. The Sugababes have added their own verses but they don't really seem to fit with the chorus and there is no infectious, grabbing element at work here like there was with the likes of 'Freak Like Me', 'About You Now' or 'Push The Button' for instance.

'You On A Good Day' is a bland and medicore offering. The lyrics are very predictable and the song has a distinct retro feel that doesn't really fit the vocal style the girls have adopted.
Things pick up slightly on 'No Can Do', a song that sounds like it's stolen the melody from a Jackson 5 song. The melody has a lot of promise but the moment the vocals kick in, it's a disappointing romp from start to finish. The song is just plain and like so many of the tracks here you, just struggle to get into the music. There's nothing exciting about the song, not even the chorus can raise any eyebrows. It seems like run of the mill, average pop music.

I did love 'Every Heart Broken'. Possibly the best track on the record. It has a beautiful piano clinking along in the background with a hypnotic RnB beat working against it. The lyrics are rather cheesy but it seems as if the Sugababes still have a bit of life left in them yet. The chorus could be better as the structure of the song strikes me as being very messy, but it's a nice uplifting addition to the album and covers a very interesting topic lyrically about murdering men. Hmmm.

'Hanging On A Star' continues to use the sort of 80s dancey style that is present through a lot of the album though I really think Amelle's presence in the group has started to lead to their downfall. She adopts a horrible rapping voice in this song that sounds like Lady Sovreign or some other chav whore. It ruins what could be a pretty good track.

The music is clearly the shining point on this album as a lot of the songs sound very promising when the intro kicks in but the girls are actually the weak point and demolish the tracks with bland and unemotive vocals and choruses that fail to pack any punches. It's almost as if the band haven't had enough time to digest these tracks and reinforces the notion that the album was just rush released. 'Unbreakable Heart' has a very interesting musical arrangement that is ruined by the quiet and inconsistant vocal patterns.

The album descends into boring ballad territory as we hit 'Beware'. 'Nothing's As Good As You' is another vocally weak moment that has no appeal to it at all. The vocals almost sound a tad like something you'd expect from Lily Allen and though the song is nice lyrically, it's not enjoyable on the ears at all.

'Sound of Goodbye' is one of those rare moments on the CD that actually turns into a good song. A very emotive and ballad fueled moment. The girls have regained some of their former swagger though it seems to be far too late to save the album.

Not even including a gorgeous acoustic version of 'About You Now' or a collaboration with British singer Taio Cruz on his hit 'She's Like A Star' can save this album from finishing way below the average mark.

'Catfights & Spotlights' could very well be the start of the end for the Sugababes. It's a lazy, uninspiring album that despite a few strong moments and some fantastic lyrics, lacks the mainstream appeal their music usually does. There are no stand out songs here and none of the tracks are exactly single worthy which reinforces the notion that it's purely a poor, useless B-Sides release. Whatever magical glue held the band together and led to them creating the masterpieces they have in the past has surely dissolved by this point and though this record should please the Babes' avid army of fans it doesn't strike much gold for the casual music buyer. Don't waste your money on this lifeless excuse for a record.

Complete Tracklisting:

01 - Girls
02 - You On A Good Day
03 - No Can Do
04 - Hanging On A Star
05 - Side Chick
06 - Unbreakable Heart
07 - Sunday Rain
08 - Every Heart Broken
09 - Beware
10 - Nothing's As Good As You
11 - Sound of Goodbye
12 - Can We Call A Truce?
13 - About You Now [Acoustic Version]
14 - She's Like A Star [Taio Cruz Feat Sugababes]

Summary: It's like they've been caught in an explosion and lost their edge