Album Review : The Saturdays - Wordshaker
- Written by Paul Wilson
Britain’s quickest accelerating girlband have returned with their second long-player, the intriguingly titled Wordshaker. Running off the back of a platinum-selling debut in 2008 (Chasing Lights) and a well-received cover of Depeche Mode’s ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ for Comic Relief, these five ladies are well placed to continue their assault on the charts.
The need for a solid second album will have been prevalent in the minds of The Saturdays themselves and their label, Fascination Records. The perpetuating breakdown of the Sugababes and the current hiatus of Girls Aloud have left a cavernous hole in the market – something that the girls are filling with aplomb.
The record gets underway with lead-off single, ‘Forever Is Over’. A deliciously catchy tune ridden with call-and-response hooks was originally penned by ex-Busted member, James Bourne. I am left in no doubt that he will be pretty satisfied at handing over the song, as the end result is nothing less than vibrant and captivating. In a trend carrying on from the group’s earlier material – the key vocals are left to the powerhouse that is Vanessa White. ‘Forever Is Over’ marks a welcome return to the electric guitar to a pop market that is saturated beyond recognition with electro-sounds – a factor which is, admittedly, also a large part of Wordshaker.
The Saturdays each gain a co-writing credit on ‘Deeper’ and is a track of considerable merit. The majority of the record’s songwriting is credited to Norwegian songwriter, Ina Wroldsen – a constant with the group, working alongside them on their earlier records.
Other standout tracks from the record are ‘Ego’, the second single which is to be released in January 2010. Featuring an epic drum track and, as aforementioned, an energetic electro underpinning which serves the general ambience of the album well. The track depicts the girls berating a partner for rising to ideas and ambitions above their station which come at the expense of their relationship – ‘And now you wanna pretend that you’re a superstar/And now you want us to end what’s taken you this far’.
‘One Shot’ raises the temperature of the record somewhat with a chorus that will overwhelm one and all. "All I am is constantly waiting for somebody good enough for me/Waiting for you, baby" – some will level the accusation that it is a tried-and-tested formulaic system of lyrics but this should not diminish the fact that however as much this may be true, Wordshaker performs successfully and goes beyond merely ticking the boxes of a standard pop album. The vocals are delivered with a measured sincerity and genuine passion.
Finally, the standout tune of the record is the title track, 'Wordshaker'. Performed on their recent ‘Work Tour’ over the summer months – it has already been well received by fans and the studio version confirms its brilliance. "You’re such a wordshaker, talk and you take it back, twisting, turning, you’re such a wordshaker, I gotta shut you up". The girls have been encouraging followers on Twitter to get #wordshaker as a trending topic to promote the record – describing it as an exclusive word that they have created to encompass anyone and everyone whose words simply can’t be taken as read.
The rest of the album is a consistently affecting effort – with vocal hooks that will refuse to leave the listener’s head. Wordshaker has served to solidify and expand the group’s loyal fanbase and raise their holdings in the pop business – they can almost certainly consider themselves well and truly promoted to the pinnacle of the pop pantheon.