The It Boys ~ Introduction: If you are looking for a group that imbues their music with vigour, energy, brashness, enthusiasm, personality and humour, then you need look no further than the aptly named The It Boys. Their debut album showcases their ability to successfully fuse together elements of pop, rock, dance, hip hop with effortlessly catchy melody without missing a beat. They've already saturated the airwaves with their radio ready songs like Guys Don't Like Me (review here) and Burning Up (review here), but that's only a small taster of what's to be found on their very good indeed, diverse debut. From the brazen opening statement of Start The Party (a track that embodies all that's so great about their rollicking good time attitude) through to the pure pop stylings of Spotlight (surely a future single in the making with it's bouncing beat and insatiable chorus) and the ravetastic Rooftops (showing The Wanted that it's absolutely possible to keep this genre of boy band single exciting and fresh, rather than relying on the same formula over and over again), each song is powered forward by a cohesive group effort, huge chorus, insinuating hooks and confident vocals. Elsewhere, there's the delicious One Night - easily a highlight of the album with it's breezy atmospheric feel, stadium bound singalong chorus and just becomes a song that is destined to be played loud with thousands of people singing it back; the audaciously titled Better Than Your Boyfriend is a thoroughly enjoyable romp; and Christmas single ballad fans will be mostly pleased with the lighters aloft Torn In Two. All in all, it's a sturdy, impressive debut that more than ensures The It Boys will require no introduction in the future. Aces.
Potential singles: Guys Don't Like Me; Burning Up; Spotlight; One Night; Torn In Two
Jeronimo ~ One Kiss: Any promising young pop buck knows that to make a successful pop album you need to add in all the essential ingredients - strong, melodic choruses, a large dose of fun, a smidgeon of novelty & a massive helping of sparkling personality. Luckily young fella-me-lad Jeronimo understands all this and uses this knowledge to create one of the most bouyant, effervescent, well crafted pop albums I've heard this year. He manages to take inspiration from pop idols from the past and merge these traits with modern day pop sensibilities. The title track & opening number fulfils this promise instantly ~ One Kiss has an instrumental that is based on an uptempo lambada with a bubbly, percolating beat that is hard to resist. The entire tune is filled with this zesty energy & is the perfect soundtrack to those balmy summer nights. Other uptempo gems on the album shine forth in the form of Unheard (a pulsing, throbbing, electro-pop thumper with a instant chorus that One Direction would kill for); debut single I Am No Superman (a reggae infused, sunshine saturated delight); Sugarcoated (massive dancefloor filler with throbbing beats, insistent synths and this soaring chorus that recalls the best of early Britney, Backstreet Boys & N'Sync); and The Beat (another swirling dancefloor party anthem where Jeronimo compells you to shimmy along to the beat - feelgood pop at it's best!) Amidst these grooving tunes are some genuinely affecting ballads where Jeronimo pours his emotions into the tracks to give them real heart - there's Somebody Who Loves Me ( a swooning mid-tempo ballad all about searching for something deeper within relationships, bypassing a vacuous attraction for a more meaningful love); Somewhere In Summer (a percussive dreamy tune with a wistful chorus with glorious backing vocals layering the track to give it a more sumptuous feel); and Wake Up (recalls those superb emotive ballads Tommy Page used to put out in his teen idol days - features one of Jeronimo's strongest vocals with relateable lyrical content). The stand out of these tracks however is the wonderful Firefly - a beautifully constructed, reflective ballad with an ethereal floating melody that works in perfect partnership with Jeronimo's earnest vocal delivery. There's something both beguiling and timeless about the tune that has me hitting repeat each time it's finished. All in all, a genuinely pleasing debut that ranks alongside the best of Justin Beiber, One Direction et al...
Potential singles: I Am No Superman; Somebody Who Loves Me; One Kiss; Unheard; Sugarcoated/Firefly
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