It's been a little while coming and there's been a few delays along the way but now 'London With The Lights On', the debut album from STOOSHE is with us.
The girls, (Alex, Courtney & Karis) have taken their time to perfect their sound and image and it finally paid off. The decision to scrap the original album release in November must have been quite a tough one, but the whole thing has had a complete overhaul and is probably better for it.
The big hit singles are included, 'Love Me' & of course the massive 'Black Heart', but the slightly disappointing cover of TLC's 'Waterfalls' is missing, despite getting the thumbs up and an appearance in the video from original band members T-Boz & Chilli, the STOOSHE girls' were recently quoted as saying "We're pretending it didn't happen"!
Some die hard fans may also argue that some of their original rebellious edge has been polished away, the omission of their debut single 'Betty Woz Gone' and removal of any profanities that appeared in earlier tracks could be considered a sign of this.
But there's plenty on 'London With The Lights On' to celebrate. There's more of the 60's influenced, Motown-ish stuff we've come to expect, particularly with current single 'Slip', 'See Me Like This' & 'Your Own Kind Of Beautiful' (which itself is a kind of 'Black Heart' part 2)
The most interesting tracks are probably those that their followers are familiar with from their live shows over the last few years. Songs like 'Hoochie Mama', 'Jimmy' and the call and response "Run...faster" of 'Kiss Chase' have all had crowd singing along for sometime now and translate well to their recorded versions too.
The girls trade mark chatting and interjections on most songs are highly entertaining and brings their true personality to their music.
Of all the new tracks, the high points of the album for us are probably the most surprising tracks. 'Fly Again' is a soaring ballad that really highlights the girls' vocals and harmonies proving they really do mean business. For me, the standout cut is 'My Man Music', a pop-reggae gem that will no doubt be a summer floor filler.
Overall, 'London With The Lights On' is a competent set and should please most fans and casual listeners alike. The girls have made themselves a niché in the market and have shown that they're likely to be around for a while.
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