Review Summary: An oddball with wit and soul
After a disappointing debut album One Touch in 2000, the young Sugababes surprised with their second effort, Angels With Diry Faces in 2002. All the lessons were learned and the second album continued with the odd mixture of electronic melodies and witty lyrics, partly written by the three leads themselves.
Obviously, these girls have limited vocal talents but that doesn't stop the album from being great. The first track, Freak Like Me pretty much sums up the whole album - the freaky grooves and melodies and a freaky sense of humour, especially on Virgin Sexy which contains a rather humorous look at losing virginity at an early age.
The album contains several hit songs but they all have their own personality. Aforementioned Freak Like Me is the perfect dance floor track with odd background music, Round Round relies on a catchy chorus and Stronger brings in a scenery of sun sparkling after the rain fall.
Although most of the songs are about love, there's also a few about envy (Blue), sexuality (also aforementioned Virgin Sexy) and being yourself no matter what (Shape, which borrows a sample of Sting's Shape of My Heart).
To explain the album better, a comparison must be made. If you combine the sounds of Björk with lyrics written by a smart-ass teenager, you have Sugababes.
Still, it's very hard to sum up Angels With Dirty Faces. Odd but mainstream, pop but indie. A freak but a friend. However you put it, Angels With Dirty Faces was the best pop-album of the year 2002.
