"I always keep a stimulant handy in case I see a snake - which I also keep handy" - W. C. ...
"I always keep a stimulant handy in case I see a snake - which I also keep handy" - W. C. Fields
Member since:30.08.2002
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Whilst waiting impatiently for the new Kelly Clarkson album, I happened to stumble across a review of an album which was described as being similar in sound. I'd never heard of Lucy Woodward before but as a big fan of Kelly Clarkson, I was prepared to give anything similar a go. After all, if it was only half as good, it would still be impressive.
As it turned out, the album was better than I expected, although perhaps not as close in sound to Kelly Clarkson as I thought it would be, especially with the darker side to Clarkson's current sound. So good was "While You Can" that when Kelly Clarkson's "My December" arrived, it received only minor attention before being put aside so I could keep Lucy Woodward on constant play.
The opening track "Dumb Girls" sets the bar fairly high for the album and it became one of my favourites straight away and has stayed that way. It's a mid tempo heavy pop song, edging towards rock-pop with a driving beat that makes it ideal for having on a portable player as you walk along and sounds a lot like Lindsay Lohan's material, although with more mature lyrics.
There's a bit more of a funky edge to "Blindsided", which takes the rock edge away from the music and makes this a little more than a pop tune with a slight twist. This means that it doesn't really stick out and could have been performed by anyone from Britney Spears in one of her heavy-pop moments, although it's
more of a Lindsay Lohan style tune once more.
The rock edge returns for "Trust Me (You Don't Wanna See This)", making this another mid-tempo heavy pop track, although there are some bass that sounds strangely reminiscent of Britney's "Hit Me Baby, One More Time" and gives the song a bit of a pop edge, although there is a bit at the end where the vocals sound like Gwen Stefani's when she was still with No Doubt.
"Is This Hollywood" is another one that became an instant favourite of mine, possibly because it's got a good beat to walk in time to and I do a lot of walking with music on. It's another mid-tempo heavy pop tune with more of a laid back groove to it. In terms of the sound of the album, this song doesn't stick out too much, but it's one I really like regardless. Some of that could be one of the lyrics where she sings "I've got a brand new neighbourhood / That I'm really loving", which I heard for the first time whilst preparing to relocate myself.
The tempo is a little higher for the next track. Calling something "The Trouble With Me" can be asking for trouble from the critics, but there's no trouble to be had here, as it's another mid-tempo heavy pop tune which reminds me a little of Ashlee Simpson's debut album, although that tended to be a little more up tempo.
There's an acoustic guitar opening to "What's Good For Me" which could be any artist you care to name. When the vocals come in, it's a gentle pop song, which picks up in the chorus to have a heavy pop edge, although it still sounds a little like a Lucie Silvas track during the verses and a Lindsay Lohan song in the chorus and towards the end.
The intro to "Standing" sounds like the opening to a pop ballad and that's what it turns into. Generally, I prefer the more up-tempo songs, so this was never going to be one of my favourite songs, but it's not too bad. This one sounds even closer to Lucie Silvas' sound than the previous track, as she was more ballad influenced.
I do like the lyrics to "The Breakdown", referencing the Rolling Stones in much the same way as the characters on "House M. D." did once, although without the same humour. As might be expected of any song with that lyrical reference, it's an up tempo rock pop track with a slightly bluesy funky edge to it. Another personal favourite of mine for this reason and because it's another one with a decent driving beat.
The tempo drops again at the start of "Always Something" and this is perhaps the one track that could be classed as filler. It's a rather non-descript mid-tempo pop song and although it does pick up a little later on, this is a song that doesn't have too many notable features and does sound a little like Lindsay Lohan.
Far more promising is the funky bass line to "Gettin' It On" and the opening lyrics suggest that the promise of the title will be fulfilled. The tracks sounds like a cross between Ashlee Simpson and Lindsay Lohan, having the vocal delivery and the pop-rock feel of the former and the lyrical content and attitude of the latter. Lyrically, this is certainly the most overtly sexually influenced track on the album.
Disappointingly, the opening "Done" suggests that the album is to finish on a pop ballad, after Woodward seemed to have done so well to avoid them. Fortunately, this turns into something I like a little better than that, being quite similar to "What's Good For Me"; a mid-tempo Lucie Silvas sounding pop track in the verses and a slightly more Lindsay Lohan sounding heavy-pop influenced song in the choruses and towards the end.
If you're into female vocals combined with heavy pop tunes, such as those by Ashlee Simpson, Lindsay Lohan and some of Kelly Clarkson's earlier material, you really need to have a copy of this album. Admittedly, Lucy Woodward doesn't do anything significantly different to those artists, except for perhaps adding in a little more lyrical maturity. Her sound tends to sit between Lohan and Simpson, with the former's slightly more pop influenced sound, but with the latter's rock-pop attitude and vocal delivery.
The only real downside to the album is that it's doesn't appear to be available as a UK release. This means that Amazon UK lists it as an import and charges £11.49 and it's next to impossible to find copies in the high street music retailers. Copies do occasionally appear on eBay and I'm more than happy with the £8.00 my copy cost, including postage. The Amazon Marketplace is showing copies being available from £2.20 plus postage, which is really good value if this is going to be your kind of thing.
What you get for your money is 41 minutes of quality music over 11 tracks, most of which are to the same high quality and with relatively few ballads, which I'm always in favour of. If you're not a fan of this particular sound, you'll not enjoy the album at all. But if you like your pop music with a rock edge, grab a copy of this album while you can.
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Ah, music, my most favourite pass times in the world - everybody should listen to it, no matter what type you like, it's good for you!
Great review btw - I liked the track listings and what you thought of them. well done
xxx
tom1clare 01.11.2007 17:19
Sounds like fun, I like my pop and pop/rock (and also limiting the ballads) so this should appeal. Now I'm off to listen to my new Bangles album. No shame in that, ahem. :) tom
Oct 28th, 2007
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