In the recent years, the United Kingdom became just like a factory of great female pop singers. After Leona Lewis, Alexandra Burke or even La Roux, Pixie Lott is the last evidence of such a phenomenon.
Unknown this only last June, the pretty blonde definitely established herself as the new British pop siren due to her impressive vocals and her inborn charisma. Coming out of the blue, she arrived like a delicate breeze on the musical market and blew out people boredom and idleness. Her first single “Mama do” topped the UK single chart, making her the first English female singer to get a number one single without any TV reality show background. A star was born. Pixie Lott is going to release her debut studio album on September 14th, a week later her second hit release “Boys & Girls”. It’s now available so check it out together!
Here is one of the most anticipated albums of the year, here is a quality piece of product from an artist who cast a spell on the British crowd and me too, and here is my obsession.
First Pixie Lott’s album is a brilliant combination of contemporary pop music with retro influences, but still sounding very fresh. This musical dichotomy makes Pixie Lott’s soul come to light and revealed her feelings about teenage life that fluctuates between love issues and enjoying the club scene. Besides, this double dimension is perceptible in Pixie‘s will to make her listeners have a real good time with danceable tracks but also to move them with such beautiful ballads. Thus, this opus shines artistically speaking due to these disparate oppositions. Even Pixie’s vocals are still very different: her voice can be sweet and juvenile but also powerful and mature. This is the strongest point of the album: all its nuances appeal to us and show how serious the work on this musical production has been.
The album starts off with “Mama Do”, her first single that pushed her towards the front of the stage and shows to the whole world who Pixie Lott is. Besides, this track is really representative of Pixie’s vocal, image and musical direction. This is a sensational pop track including 60’s soulful elements. Pixie sounds like a mix of Winehouse dark style and Duffy’s glamour. The second track, “Cry me out” is a classic 50’s pop ballad where Pixie‘s vocals extent leak out. The chorus high notes are perfectly executed and show how mature and full her voice is. It sounds epic and just gorgeous. “Nothing Compares”, like the previous one, is a stunning epic ballad whose verses are completely by the chorus where Pixie shines vocally speaking; disclosing every nuance she can sing.
Pixie has the sense not to weary her listeners too much with “solemn ballads” and knows how to brighten up their days with such sweet treasures like “Band Aid” or even “My Love”. The atmosphere of the album becomes consequently cooler and airier, perfect to take you into an exotic land you don’t want to leave anymore. Her vocals sound a bit immature but that add a soothy dimension to the songs. Thus, Band Aid with its island feel will make you feel good, whereas My Love will calm things down with its flowy R’n’B-ish melody.
This part of the opus aims to raise love issues and to unveil the different sides of the most powerful feeling a human being is able to feel.
Dancy anthems are also present on “Turn it up” with such dynamic tunes like “Boys & Girls” that makes you wanna have a party. Besides, this track is the most precious treasure in Miss Lott’s casket. Pixie effortlessly rides the beat of the song with her impressive vocals. The chorus is really catchy and intoxicating, especially when Pixie keeps repeating “All the boys and the girls (no you just can’t stop)”. “Turn it up “is also another danceable track that gets stuck in my head and drives me completely insane.
“Here we Go again” for her. This is what I can call a hit due to its infectious beats and great arrangements. Pixie Lott gave it a special dimension, so that it sounds both English and so modern. At last, “Gravity” is another gold nugget present on this album. This is a dynamic ballad but sounding still very touching. Pixie’s synthesized voice makes it really powerful. It sounds quite “industrial” because of this point; however it’s still addictive and pleasant to hear. It’s different from the others ballads and I think that is its strongest point. The melodic efficaciousness seems to prevail over the emotion it’s supposed to express, and I can say it works well.
With this second part, Pixie demonstrates she’s able make you dance as well as she can touch you.
To conclude with this review, I will briefly talk about the two disappointments of this musical production. That is of course “The Way the Words Work” and “Hold me in your arms“which are weaker than the previous songs. These are classic, I can even say generic ballads. Pixie Lott is singing well, but it’s still quite forgettable, that’s why I won’t enlarge on this subject.
Is this album good? Did Pixie Lott take up the challenge? My answer is yes.
Although this album is classic and maybe sometimes a bit too easy to listen, it really shows us Pixie Lott’s personality, and that’s what I was expecting from a debut album. Pixie displayed her singing talent and disclosed the different sides of her music direction, her soul and her life. It’s not perfect: some songs lack of substance, and yet I like all the songs on the same level because all of them have their own atmosphere and feeling. It’s globally a cohesive album, so that shows that Pixie didn’t make fun of us and give to us a musical production she get involved in. As a conclusion, you can listen to it with your eyes closed.
Grade: A++
I’m sorry to have written such a long review but Pixie Lott worked so much on it that I finally have many things to say.
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