Speculation suggesting that Sugababes Keisha Buchanan and Heidi Range had been auditioning a replacement for Amelle Berrabah – who joined after Mutya Buena quit – was nothing more than a storm in a champagne flute. So much so, in fact, that we strongly suspect a PR exercise, designed to draw attention to the fact that Sugababes are back! back! back! following their singles compilation, ‘Overloaded’, with a brand new album and new(-ish) member in tow.
In truth, the line-up of the ‘babes has always been largely irrelevant, not only to their success, but also to their sound. ‘Sugababes’ is a brand name much like say, NutraSweet; the constituents of the product are far less important than the job it does. And the ‘babes’ product – a sleek, high-gloss blend of commercial house, perky Europop, smooth balladry and the odd blast of nu-disco – does its chart-busting, triple-platinum job very well indeed. ‘Change’ is their fifth LP, but there are far fewer signs of a bold new direction than that title implies. In fact, only two tracks – lead single, ‘About You Now’ and ‘Denial’ veer markedly from the ‘babes’ familiar pop course. The latter suggests that the Gossip’s album might have had a hammering in the writing room, while ‘About You Now’ (co-written by the ubiquitous Cathy Dennis) is the album’s hugely disappointing opening salvo.
An attempt at ‘rocking out’ driven by criminally banal, programmed beats, it sounds like nothing so much as a lo-cal Strokes fronted by Kelly Clarkson. Happily, producers Xenomania are back on board and their ‘Never Gonna Dance Again’ and ‘My Love Is Pink’ are the LP’s clear standouts, guaranteed to snag even the most cynical ears with their utterly irresistible, dancefloor-storming hooks. ‘Back Down’ – all skanking rhythms and twirkin’ electronics – also shines. Elsewhere, the ballads suck, as always, and ‘3 Spoons Of Suga’ bafflingly goes down the big beat route. ‘Change’ is an oddly mixed bag – not sweet, not soured, just so-so. Shame.
