Back Home - Westlife > Reviews > Good band, bad album

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Lacking inspiration
Lyrics	Standard
Quality and consistency of tracks	One hit and lots of B-sides
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Weak
Value for Money	Poor

Advantages:	2 good tracks !
Disadvantages:	The ten bad tracks !

Recommend to potential buyers:

no

Full review

I am not one for this particular type of music at the best of times but with young children and grandchildren I often find myself having it forced upon me. A few days ago when my daughter was taking me to see an old friend (being driven there and picked up in order to be able to consume a drink or two) She had her stereo on in the car and on came a song I recognised but not by the singer I knew it by.

The song was home and the version I would associate with would be the Michael Buble version which I still prefer. I commented on the song being a good one to which my daughter replied have this and give it a listen; she then presented me with the Westlife album Back home.

My daughter was of the opinion that due to my fairly open mind when it comes to music and the fact that she likes this album so much that there would be plenty of interest in it for me too, I have to say that she was wrong.

Take out the single once done so well by Michael Buble and there was not much else I could claim to like about the whole experience, finding it drab, boring and all a bit similar for my liking. This album for me could have just been one relentless track as it just seemed to drone on, now I know people are going to be thinking oh hes just another old fart who does not get what youngsters like but I would refer you to my Amy Winehouse review to put that idea to rest.

I have in fact heard Westlife tracks in the past and found them mildly enjoyable; this whole album just did not have anything in it for me at all. It is said to have a mixture of Ballads and more up-beat tracks but the whole thing was a bit slow for me even the faster paced songs had too much of a ballad feel to them.

THE TRACKS AND MY RATINGS

1 - Home - as I mentioned earlier this track is one I have enjoyed sung by another performer and although this version was ok it is better when sung by a single person. 7/10

2 - Us against the world - I don't know for sure if there is such a thing as an upbeat ballad recognised in the music world but that is how I would describe this effort, it has a catchy beat but at the same time carries a real ballad vibe. 5/10

3 - Something right - This particular track is more upbeat than the others but is also very poor in my opinion, no real arrangement or pattern to it. 3/10

4 - Already here - this is the only track on the album that reaches the limits of Home, It has great lyrics and is delivered well but still seems to lack something. 7/10

5 - When I am with you - repetitive rubbish! 1/10

6 - Have you ever - Another ballad but this one does give the lads the chance to do what they do best and harmonise. 6/10

7 - It`s you - this for me could be any other boring westlife ballad, there is nothing new or original about this track and therefore it for me has no point to it at all. 1/10

8 - Catch my breath - The lads actually do break out into a faster pace with this one and it is quite catchy but still not great by any stretch of the imagination. 6/10

9 - the easy way - Another one that skips along a little faster than the ballads but one I did not enjoy at all. 2/10

10 - I do - Back to Westlife basics with this one, another ballad but a fairly decent one with good lyrics. 5/10

11 - Pictures in my head - Not sure what to make of this track other than to say that it is very poor and not of the standards you would expect from a group of this standing. 2/10

12 - You Must Have Had a Broken Heart - I certainly had a broken heart after yet another drab ballad, the only thing I could say in this songs favour is that it brought the sub standard album to a close. 3/10

Overall rating 5/10

There is no doubt that these likeable Irish lad`s have good voices and can harmonise very well together and when they have a big song then they bring it to life well but this album had no real big songs for them to work with and the only great song on the album "Home" was not performed all that well for me.

For me Westlife are a very decent group but they have produced a very average album in this one, best stick to their older stuff unless you are a huge fan who will enjoy anything they do!

Thanks for reading.

Bill.