March 5, 2010

Album Review: Sugababes - 'Sweet 7' (Universal/Island)

The new look girl group's sound doesn't live up to past endeavours

4 / 10 The human body regenerates completely over a period of seven years, meaning you’re literally not the same person you were in 2003. With the replacement of sole remaining founder member Keisha Buchanan by Jade Ewen in September last year, Sugababes pulled off the same trick three times in 11 – and ‘Sweet 7’ leaves us hankering after the good old days. This being the group’s first record since signing with Jay-Z imprint Roc Nation in the States, it shares the Europop/Auto-Tune fixations of the US mainstream du jour: ‘Get Sexy’ sounds like a lazy, latter-day Timbaland joint, and ‘About A Girl’ is a slice of future-house from Lady Gaga’s chum RedOne. But time was we could expect more than bland consistency from the Sugababes – shame.

Alex Denney