Review Summary: A pretty good album from westlife standards, which had been falling after unbreakable.
It has been 3 full days since the official release of Back Home and the fact that no one has reviewed it yet surprised me. Maybe people have lost faith in westlife after their repeated acts of covering others songs after Brian Mcfadden walked out of it. I know many music lovers are against the so called 'boyband crap' and prefer to stay away from them specially westlife, a band which seems to lack creativity and innovation as far as song writing is concerned. But still people must know that westlife's lead singer Shane Filan has probably the best vocals in the music fraternity and the band has done justice to some covers also like The Rose and You raise me up. But westlife has regained its touch which it seemed to have lost after Unbreakable with their latest work Back Home.
The album kicks off with the latest single and Michael Buble's song 'Home'. I have not heard his version, hence i cant compare the two but I feel its one of the finest work of westlife to date. Maybe its the video of the song or the beautiful lyrics, but i have been addicted to this track since I heard it for the first time. Backed with some powerful vocals, the song is a complete delight and its astonishing it failed to reach the top spot on charts.(4.5/5)
The second track 'Us against the world' is again a fantabulous track and is probably the first non-cover track after queen of my heart to sound so good. Its one of the fewer tracks where Mark sounds far better than Shane, convincing us why he's such an asset for this band. This song should definitely be released as the next single.(4.75/5)
The follow up 'something right' is an above average track but nowhere near its predecessors. It has a poppier sound to it with some good back-up harmonies but is not a potential single.(3.25/5)
'I am already there' is a lonestar song and i agree with Mark that it should have been a B-side to home. True, the lyrics are touching and band sounds good on it but if you have heard the lonestar version too many times, the song won't charm you much. Its a tear inducing song for those who are away from home and miss their children and family, but i personally feel its an average track.(3/5)
'When I'm with you' is a very good track and Shane steals the show here with his lovable voice. Lyrically the song is not much but Shane's voice sounds perfect at all places making up for the flaws. The vocals have always been the strength of westlife and the same can be said here. This song is bound to be favorite among the girls in their early teens.(3.75/5)
'Have you ever' is one those ballads which i intensely dislike. Its again a cover and sounds as if the boys are moaning and groaning rather than singing on this one. Its the worst track on the album according to me. Maybe its because the boys have sung loads of tracks like this one in their previous albums. The lyrics also are too melodramatic.(1.5/5)
'It's you' is a pretty well sung song with soothing music. Again its not much strong lyrically with a man pronouncing his love for a girl but as i said previously said lyrics are the weakest link of westlife but the feeling with which they sing is amazing. My rating for this song is completely because of the feel to it.(3.5/5)
'Catch My Breath' and 'The easy way' have the band returning to non-ballad songs. Though the tracks are okay still they don't have much repeat value. They also sound almost the same and 'the easy way' sounds like a sequel to 'catch my breath'.(2.75/5)
'I do' is a complete wedding song and is very good ballad. In the words of Shane the song can be played from the beginning to end of a wedding. The lyrics are beautiful with a lover promising lifelong of love to his/her loved one. The to-be-wedded couples are bound to fall for this track.(3.75/5)
'Pictures in my head' is probably the only fast track in the album which i adore. It has a 'I lay my love on you' kind of feel to it and it grows on you after listening it for few times. Again Shane sounds brilliant on this track. Its a kind of song which you love to listen to again and again.(3.75/5)
The final track 'you must have had a broken heart' is one of the finest track on the album and takes you to the band's early days. The chorus is brilliant and this track ends the album with a sweet taste in the listener's mouth. Another potential single which certainly will be well received by westlife fans.(4.25/5)
Back Home is a comeback album for westlife after the debacle of allow us to be frank and the love album. The albums may have garnered commercial success but it definitely reduced their fans who wanted more original stuff from their idols. Back Home is an album which every present and past westlife fan must have in his/her collection.
