Buzz - Steps > Reviews > What a Buzz

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Advantages:	One of the best pop albums of the year
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Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Oh my god, where to begin...?

Steps' 3rd album "Buzz" kicks off in true Steps style with their cover of Kylie Minogue's classic "Better The Devil You Know" which although not a patch on the original, it sets the album off to a great start.

Next up we have "Stomp", the Chic-inspired #1 hit from earlier this year which has had us all up and dancing like loonies (whether you like to admit it or not!). After "Summer Of Love" brightens up our lives just by its very existance, the album begins to get, well, sophisticated... and trust me, you WON'T be disappointed.

The forthcoming single "It's The Way You Make Me Feel" is without question one of the strongest tracks on this album, and is also one of the best songs Steps have ever recorded. Whilst not being a truly uptempo number, you can hardly call it a ballad. Were it not for Westlife releasing their Christmas single the week after, Steps could almost certainly have had a Christmas #1 on their hands with this one.

"You'll Be Sorry" is a typical Steps number, very upbeat and quite camp. It's followed however by the album's one let-down. "Learn To Love Again" is the first song on the album to have been written by a member of the group - in this case, H. The track gets off to a fairly promising start but is let down by a weak chorus which has little-to-no impact. However, this is only a temporary hitch...

Lisa's solo number "Never Get Over You" (which she also wrote) is a hit just waiting to happen. Fans who went to any of the dates on the Steptacular Arena Tour earlier this year will already know this one as Lisa performed it on the tour in a memorable sequence involving a wedding dress and sequinned hot-pants. A pure pop number with a strong chorus which stuck in my head from the moment I heard it on the tour. Lush :-)

Claire's up next with her self-composed ballad "Hand On Your Heart" which shows off her impressive vocals fabulously. This is easiley one of the albums most grown-up moments. Gorgeous.

"Happy Go Lucky" is a song that Ace Of Base would kill for - a pure pop experience with a reggae backbeat and a chorus to die for. Please God let this be a single!!!

OK, now we have the album's title track... and boy is it different! Another reggae-infused number, "Buzzz" (note the 3 z's) is a complete departure for Steps and is planned to be the next single release in the US. Many fans have said that on first listen they couldn't relate to this track, but after a few listens it's become one of their favourites. It's certainly one of mine :-)

The next 2 tracks, "Here And Now" & "Paradise Lost" are both very bold, sweeping and somewhat anthemic tracks which like "It's The Way You Make Me Feel" cannot be described as uptempo or ballads. These 2 songs in particular will go down a storm on the forthcoming "Steps Into Christmas" tour.

Following on from that we have Lee's own composition "Turn Around" which is a dancey slice of pop which has a unique vocal effect which at first sounds odd but then becomes strangely alluring. The song is also catchy as hell :-)

The album is now coming to a close, so Steps use the time-honoured method of slowing things down with "It Wouldn't Hurt So Bad" - a nice, if a bit uneventful duet between Faye & Lisa. However, the album's shining moment is still to come...

All the other Steps stars have had their turn at songwriting and now it's Faye's turn. "If You Believe" is a big power ballad that Celine Dion would scratch your eyes out for and Faye can certainly belt it out. Written with Cyndi Lauper, this is the perfect close to the best album Steps have released so far and if this is performed on the upcoming tour there won't be a dry eye in the house. Stunning.

So, do yourselves a favour... buy "Buzz" and make your life sparkle.