Change - Sugababes

...vocals. It's certainly an interesting change of style and they are to be applauded for that, even if it doesn't quite work with the voices they have. It's an enjoyable way to end an album that wasn't entirely what I expected and the sudden end to the song came as one final surprise as well.

I wouldn't say that I disliked the album, but there is just so little on it that sticks out. Admittedly, it has it moments and not always in the ...
...moments in a 12 song album lasting for 43 minutes. I know from previous singles that I have enjoyed that the Sugababes can sing and that they can pull off some decent tunes. However, too often here it felt like they were moving away from their strengths and burying their impressive voices under the musical backing. It is worth noting that the songs from the album that they played live sounded a lot better than the album versions, as they had more ... more

The Sugababes are one of those groups that I've always had a quiet enjoyment of, but never enough to really become a fan. After all, a little like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones back in the 1960s, it seems you could either be a fan of the Sugababes or Girls Aloud but not both and my colours have been firmly pinned to the Girls Aloud mast for some time. Except in the case of the recent version of "Walk This Way" they combined to do for Comic Relief, at which point I wanted to kill them all.

However, when it was announced that the Sugababes were coming to town as part of their "Change" tour, I agreed to go along to accompany a friend. Before the day came around, I thought I had best get an idea of what I'd let myself in for before I went, so I gave the album that the tour had been named after a listen and was pleasantly surprised, if not converted.

The first time I recall hearing the opening track "About You Now" was as a live performance at the end of some daytime TV show. I wasn't overly impressed, as the harmonies at the end didn't sound quite right. The more I listen to it on the album, though, the better it seems to get. It's a catchy dance-pop number with an upbeat tempo and it's quite a bouncy and enjoyable song and the bit at the end sounds a lot better in the studio version.

Given the mess they had made of "Walk This Way", I was a little worried at first that "Never Gonna Dance Again" might be a cover of the 1980s Wham song. Instead, it's more of the same, although slightly more mid-tempo and with a little more of the r 'n' b influence that the Sugababes have adopted in recent years.

"Denial" is the latest single from the album, but it's not one of the better songs in my opinion. It's seems a little disjointed, as there's more of a dance beat to it, but it's a slightly more bass heavy and more disjointed tune than the two before. It's another mid-tempo dance-pop tune, with perhaps a slight Euro-pop edge to it, but the more bass influenced sound seems to drag the vocals down and bury them a little.

This Euro-pop theme continues with "My Love Is Pink", which is actually a better song than the rather silly title might suggest. The song reminds me a little of some of Girls Aloud's more dance orientated tunes, or a slightly toned down version of Cascada, especially through the verses. It's another up tempo and fairly bouncy song and isn't really all that bad, although it's not entirely what you might expect from the group and not the best on the album.

The title track never ceases to entertain me, but probably not for the reason that the group would hope. The reason for this is that there is a sound effect used frequently throughout the song that never fails to remind me of the sound of the buzzer on "Catchphrase". It's actually a shame that there is this distraction in the song, as it's a pretty decent pop ballad. Admittedly, it's nothing new in the genre, falling for most of the clichés of pop ballad writing, but it's a good example of the art.

"Back When" has an instantly recognisable hook, with the "do da do" lyric that my girlfriend always uses when she talks about this song so I know which one she means. This is the most distinguishable point about the song, as whilst it's another very well performed pop ballad, with the three girls' voices working well together, it's nothing terribly special. That lyric does stick out, though, which for me sets this just above "Change".

Next up "Surprise (Goodbye)" does start with something of a surprise, as it's got a bass heavy refrain to it and the whole song seems to have a lot more attitude than most on the album. The performance of the song isn't really anything terribly special, however, as it's only really that riff that sets the song apart. The vocals work well, but when the attitude is dropped for the chorus, the sweetness of the voices don't seem to work so well with the darker tone of the music and the two seem at odds with each other, as if the two are parts of different songs welded together.

The attitude continues for "Back When" and the reggae influenced sound of the song does actually seem to work a lot better with the attitude. The music doesn't overpower the vocals this time around, although I'm not really a fan of the reggae genre as a whole, so the song isn't one of my favourites and it doesn't really have any variation, making it quite a dull song that seems to drag on.

The opening to "Mended By You" immediately tells you that you're going to get another pop ballad, as the slow tempo and the string and piano arrangement are a common feature of that kind of song. As the song gets going, there is a little of an r 'n' b influence creeping in, but as with most of the ballads on the album, there's nothing here that suggests it's a Sugababes song, as it could be swapped with any other girl group's big ballad number. It's well performed, but it's not really anything original.

Whilst "3 Spoons of Suga" has the most cringe inducing title on the album, I do love the song. There's an almost rock 'n' roll influence to the guitar, with the heavy drum beat also giving the song a bit of a retro feel. The vocals are once more largely lost in the mix, which is a shame as they're worth a listen, having quite a sassy attitude. It's an up tempo, very bouncy song and has been my favourite on the album since the first play.

On previous albums, the Sugababes have had more of an r 'n' b influence that has been apparent on this album, but "Open the Door" finally brings us around to what I expected from the album. Of course, just because I was expecting it doesn't mean I was going to enjoy it and once more this is a fairly standard slice of mid tempo r 'n' b influenced pop music. The group's vocals are very good, but they just seem too soft and sweet to mix in with the heavier beat and some of the effects used later in the song destroy the flow of it for me.

The closing song "Undignified" has a guitar riff that sounds suspiciously like one used in a mobile phone advert relatively recently. The music retains a toned down indie sort of feel throughout which, once more, doesn't quite work with the vocals. It's certainly an interesting change of style and they are to be applauded for that, even if it doesn't quite work with the voices they have. It's an enjoyable way to end an album that wasn't entirely what I expected and the sudden end to the song came as one final surprise as well.

I wouldn't say that I disliked the album, but there is just so little on it that sticks out. Admittedly, it has it moments and not always in the way they would have intended, but these are only occasional moments in a 12 song album lasting for 43 minutes. I know from previous singles that I have enjoyed that the Sugababes can sing and that they can pull off some decent tunes. However, too often here it felt like they were moving away from their strengths and burying their impressive voices under the musical backing. It is worth noting that the songs from the album that they played live sounded a lot better than the album versions, as they had more power and passion behind them and they made the album sound like they were merely going through their paces by comparison.

By the same score, it wouldn't be fair to say I failed to enjoy the album completely. There was a bit of variation of sound which stopped it getting boring, but there was nothing really ground breaking here. If you're a newcomer to the Sugababes, then I would tend to recommend their Greatest Hits album over this one, as it has a wider range of sounds and a higher quality of song. If that is already part of your collection and you're looking to add the latest, I would look to pay as little as possible, such as 99 pence from eBay or £2.29 from the Amazon Marketplace. The better moments on the album are worth spending a small amount on, but overall I have found nothing here that suggests that the Sugababes are any better than Girls Aloud. 

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