Three

by

Sugababes

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The Sugababes are undoubtedly Britain's greatest female pop group since the Spice Girls. These three sexy sassy ladies are always ahead of the game and just storm through the charts whipping up a frenzy and displaying such a cool attitude that is rivalled by no others. The Sugababes first arrived on the scene in 2000 with their debut album "One Touch" which spawned the massive hit singles "Overload," "New Year" and "Run For Cover." The band's future was put in jeopardy when the red head member Siobhan Donaghy left in 2001. Only two girls were left in the band - Keisha Buchanan and Mutya Buena. Then towards the end of 2001 the blonde bombshell Heidi Range joined the band, and in early 2002 they released "Freak Like Me," which became a massive UK No.1 single.

This was followed up by the album "Angels With Dirty Faces" and the massive No.1 single "Round Round." The girls continued their success with a mammoth UK tour and the hit singles "Stronger" and "Shape." The 'Babes were now the hottest chicks on the block, and have maintained this personality for years now. In 2003 the girls returned with their third album "Three." It debuted at No.3 in the UK charts and is easily their best album to date. On this album the girls equally divide their vocal contributions and fuse pop, rock, indie and dance to make easily one of 2003's finest efforts.

Three opens with the album's first single, "Hole In The Head," which was a massive UK No.1 back in October 2003. The catchy beat and man-hating lyrics became a firm favourite in club across the nation and gave the girls their third UK No.1 single. "Whatever Makes You Happy" is a loud and brash pop anthem that talks of fame and fortune in a money-hungry society, whilst the superb "Caught In A Moment" is the album's first ballad. With emotional violins and soothing vocals, it's one of the best songs on offer here. The lyrics are superb, too, especially for a girl band, like, "Your stare swallows me in, and I can hardly breathe. I feel it's dangerous, could be deadly. Somehow I'm willing to do the things you want. Take me in your arms, spoon feed my heart." Many people dislike "Situation's Heavy," but it's one of my personal favourites, especially for the opening sounds; a mixture of swirling heavenly beats. The vocal arrangement is catchy and the lyrics are though-provoking - classic Sugababes. "Million Different Ways" is a rather average track, but it's still pretty damn good. I think it starts off really cheap and tinny, but soon evolves into a rich and developed piece.

"Twisted" is probably the most simple song on the album, with a simple beat and uptempo sunny lyrics. "We Could Have It All" is the album's only real dud, but it's still listenable whilst the superb "Conversation's Over" makes for one of the best middle of the road tracks that the band have every produced. The third single "In The Middle" is a fantastic flurry of dance beats and eccentric horns that collide with the girls' ultra-cool and attitude-laden vocals and lyrics. The verses are so catchy and the bridge before the first chorus about boys and girls is simply groove-tastic! "Too Lost In You" is hands down the best ballad the Sugababes have ever sung, and with lyrics by the ballad legend Diane Warren, it's not hard to see why! Taken from the British blockbuster film Love Actually, the song features some awesome lyrics and an incredible bridge section where the violins take your breath away. It was the second single to be taken from the album in December 2003.

"Nasty Ghetto" simply sways like an elephant in a jungle with underground beats and primal funk! The girls deliver a fantastic message on this song, with an awesome sense of female power that dominates and controls a would-be relationship. "Buster" is a similar song to its predecessor, yet makes less of an impact. The girls sing of a guy who wants to get with them, but they're having none of it! These foxy ladies know how to work it, and when you get in their way, watch out man! It's a female power anthem, in a similar vein to Christina's "Can't Hold Us Down." The second to last track on the album is "Sometimes" which is an average ballad - a bit filler for my liking. The album finally closes with "Maya," a superb and emotional ballad about a friend who died. I usually ignore all songs towards the end of albums by pop bands because they're usually filler, but this sure isn't! The lyrics are very professional for a supposed pop band and the beat is soft and heavenly.

OVERALL GRADE: 9/10

America basically has no idea who the Sugababes are because they haven't really gone over there and promoted their material, but I'm sure they'd be a big success if they did! The Sugababes are Britain's top girl group, and I can see them maintaining this reputation because they have longevity. They're not some annoying novelty act that will wash away by this time next year. The only thing that's going to stop this band carrying on is a break-up once they've made their millions, have inflated egos and want to try solo careers. They could succeed in this, but I think they have too much talent and genius to do that just yet. Buy Three now, it's a fantastic album.

The Sugababes are another phenomenon that have managed to win over most of the world with their smooth ballads and pop dance floor fillers, but have gone unnoticed by the American public. This multi-racial trio of British girls has delivered many hits in recent years and was the escape band for people who thought the likes of Atomic Kitten and/or Westlife delivered more cheese and less quality. One Touch, their debut album, managed to successfully fuse luscious pop melodies with morphing trip-hop beats, exhibited in the stunning "Overload" and "Run for Cover."

Next came an abrupt band break up, when Siobhan Donaghy left and was replaced by a bustier blonde. From then on, the Sugababes' music was directed at mainstream audiences and waned in experimentation. With their second album, Angels With Dirty Faces, the Britpop divas created a less risqué sound that still sinks its feet in unconventional templates. This is demonstrated by the Gary Newman/ Adina Howard mash-up on "Freak Like Me," and the number one song "Round Round."

This third effort, appropriately titled Three, doesn't stray too far from its predecessor in the sense that its main focus is to bring forward pop tracks that are not too experimental for radio and not commercial to the point of non-distinction.

The lead single displays the combination of easy-on-the-ears experimentalism. "Hole in the Head" is a strong dance number with an average boyfriend-baiting theme. However, its melodic arrangement is unabashedly unique. The second single and a cut from the original soundtrack of Love Actually, "Too Lost In You" is a wondrous love ballad that seduces.

Other album tracks verge on being audible avant-garde but stay within pop boundaries, such as the dark "Situation's Heavy" and the Panjabi MC-flavored "Million Different Ways."

Other tracks fall short of that glory, like "We Could Have It All" and "Whatever Makes You Happy." Some tracks are too cliché like "Nasty Ghetto" and "Caught in the Moment," the first an attempt at street-cred and the latter a measly crooner.

This mishaps are saved by the mystery of a dying relationship on "Conversation's Over," a standout track on the album.

Three is packed with future hits and is laced with pleasing vocals from the trio. In comparison to the rest of the girl bands, the Sugababes seem to be the only band worthy of appreciation. As Girls Aloud and Atomic Kitten rely profoundly on cover versions and out-played melodies, the Sugababes marvel in their tampering with readily-constructed templates.