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Little Mix: 'Salute' Album Review

Zoe Willis |
February 7, 2014 | 10:08 a.m. PST

Staff Reporter

A #1 iTunes debut is something to "salute" indeed. (Via Wikimedia)
A #1 iTunes debut is something to "salute" indeed. (Via Wikimedia)
British girl group Little Mix has been raising attention since their formation (and eventual win) during the 8th season of UK "X Factor" in 2011. Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall blend together to create your typical girl group: upbeat, positive, and full of relationship based tunes. 

Their sophomore album, "Salute," just debuted #1 on the U.S. iTunes charts, and for good reason. The album is full of catchy, positive, empowering tracks. If you’re not a fan of pop, especially teen-pop, this album is not going to convert you, but its a fun listen.

The title track "Salute," although borderline overproduced with synth, contains strong lyrics and even more impressive vocals. It’s a great example of the overall teen pop tone of the album. As the title track it serves its purpose of being one of the strongest songs.

The second track, "Move," follows the same suite as "Salute." A radio friendly song, it has an interesting dynamic in terms of layering. Accompanying strong, soulful vocals, percussion and harmonies really add to the overall vibe of the song.

The tone shifts with the song "Little Me." The first ballad of the album, the song is honestly a bit too cliché. It profiles the stereotypical shy girl who’s afraid to go out of her shell, and while this narrative could have taken on a more complex and in depth portrayal, it’s far too blunt.

"Nothing Feels Like You," "Competition," "About a Boy," and "Boy" are all typical teenage songs about boy drama. They all blend together and don’t contribute much to the album as a whole. They definitely could have cut one... or all four of them, and nothing would be missing from the album.

"These Four Walls" and "Towers" are the two songs on the album that give credit to Cliff Masterson, an acclaimed arranger and orchestrator. The partnership is definitely beneficial to the album, as Masterson adds a genuine sound that goes much deeper than the rest of their teeny bop pop feel.

Both have a reflective tone, but "These Four Walls" definitely stands out. Between the soulful, raw vocals and the personal lyrics, the song might just be one of the strongest on the album.

"Mr. Loverboy," a personal favorite, mirrors the style of Destiny’s Child with soulful, fierce, 90’s-esque vocals. It has R&B undertones which is a nice variation from straight pop. It’s one of the more unique tracks on the album, which is refreshing to get to amidst the remaining tracks that more than mirror each other.

"Salute" adequately demonstrates what Little Mix is trying to portray themselves as: a girl group with attitude and substance. The album definitely plays it safe as the group’s primary audience is 14-year-old girls (member Perrie is recently engaged to One Direction’s Zayn Malik) but everyone can find a song or two to add to their “guilty pleasure” playlist.

Read more of NT's album reviews here.

Reach Staff Reporter Zoe Willis here.



 

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