Rejoice, friends: you can judge this album by its cover.
Wordshaker, The Saturdays second effort out on October 12 through Fascination Records, suffers no sign of the sophomore slump anywhere on the album. Complete with twelve single-ready tracks (yes, all twelve), the follow-up is a complete and utter triumph complete with massive choruses, catchy harmonies, and pulsating synthesizers.
While there’s nothing especially ‘new’ to be found here, Wordshaker provides a relentless procession of radio-ready, primarily uptempo numbers; the majority of which were penned by the same writer responsible for much of their debut, Ina Wroldsen.
“And now you want to pretend that you’re a superstar,” the ladies chant off the top of one of the album’s most massive tracks, “Ego.” If there’s any theme to be taken from the album lyrics, it’s confidence. Further along, songs like the storming “One Shot,” “Wordshaker” and “Not Good Enough” all deliver the right goods to provide the archetype girl group anthem–“Girl Power” for the 21st century.
The only break from tradition comes in the form of “Open Up,” a bizarre tale spun on the doorstep of a lover: “Oh baby, open the door, I promise never no more,” the Sats cry, turning the tables on your standard ‘Don’t show up drunk at my place’ pop rant and instead shedding the drunk tears firsthand. “I will be a good girl,” the girls plead, becoming increasingly agitated as the song continues: “If you keep this up, I’ll find a way to knock the door down. I’m not playing, unlock the door now.” It’s a fantastic track, if not a bit unsettling.
The album’s sound makes sense as a complete package, though there’s enough variety within–from the electro-samba of title track “Wordshaker” to the bubble-pop (ever-so-slightly country tinged) sound of “Open Up”–to keep the listener from ever feeling the need to skip ahead.
Arguably, the album might even be the one with enough of a modern punch to break the group into the States. There is however, the risk of sounding too modern from time to time, as demonstrated by the only mix-up in the bunch, “Here Standing,” an unapologetic rip-off of Jordin Sparks‘ “No Air.” Still, even as a copycat, it sounds damn good.
Wordshaker is no supplement for the Aloud-less winter of 2009, but let’s face it: I don’t even care for The Saturdays, and I’m stil declaring this one of the punchiest pop albums of the year so far.
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Purchase Wordshaker on iTunes UK | MySpace | Official Website
