Review Summary: Space Oddity
Girls Aloud's first two albums -
Sound Of The Underground (2003) and
What Will The Neighbors Say (2004) - did a lot for establishing the quintet as quite an interesting pop act in British music scene. The music was likable, but also had something else that somehow made them unique and interesting. One could instantly like them, but the overall music that pointed at something much more elaborated and complex that did not seem to belong, in theory, to its pop foundations. Both albums had redeeming qualities; you would not regret listening to them, but alone and in themselves, those records were more interesting or promising than truly memorable. It is in the context of the their third
Chemistry than everything starts coming together. Because, we have to say it, the evolution of Girls Aloud is not the evolution of their members, but the evolution of their songwriting and production team Xenomania: you should think of Girls Aloud as Xenomania's creative outlet with female vocal features. That is the correct picture you should have in mind.
Chemistry is impressive from beginning to end, and is arguably the finest hour Xenomania ever produced. It has that deceiving catchiness that grabs your attention from the get-go, while in fact it is hiding a very complex and creative piece of music...or is it trying to hide it? The record is as catchy as it is weird from the very beginning. It is an odd listening that unfolds in a startlingly intoxicating confusing way. This is as great, cool and well-rounded experimental pop music as any you can find, even by today's standards. Rock arrangements and instrumentation in the context of electro pop, buzzing synth lines that coexist with rock drumming and robotic back-up techno vocals; overproduced futuristic-retro ballads that achieve an acoustic effect are in line with songs that lift beats and bass lines from progressive house. And everything makes sense! And on top of that, they are also great songs! The songwriting is obviously tight, but the production here is, simply put, stellar.
It is all the more impressive because there are no standout vocal performances; Girls Aloud always seemed to perform through some sort of limiter. The girls complement each other well and work fine as an unit, but the girls lack power and energy, and most of the time sound plain and plastic. But the quality of the material is good enough to carry them, and have some sort of charisma on the stage. It never truly mattered, and that is probably what the production team needed to have almost complete reign in the project. It worked for everyone. That a work like this was intended for mainstream consumption and that it
succeded in some way...it is a small miracle. Girls Aloud would go on to release two more notable albums that would cement their place in the music pantheon -pop or otherwise-, but
Chemistry is the best proof of what made the group so great: edgy and sophisticated pop of enduring quality.
