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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Overloaded., November 30, 2006
Girls Aloud might exist to continually shock us with the audacity of their off-the-wall tunes, but the Sugababes fulfill our need for something truly subdued and sexy all at once. Their singles are all neatly executed, their singing never more than a step above breathy, and yet they have been hailed as the hippest girl group of the noughties. Unsurprisingly, their 2006 best-of set, "Overloaded", is their finest release to date. The singles demonstrate everything great about them- a flair for edge, a knack for the mainstream- but the lesser album tracks have always catered to dull R&B and urban retreads. "Overloaded" simply weeds out the dodgy spots and tumbles onto strength after strength. It's incredible to see their growth over the span of six years, from the jazzy garage fumble of debut hit "Overload" to the guitar glam of new track "Good To Be Gone". They've broken the pop mold by producing excellent singles that continue to grow over time, not repeat past formulas. A few moments, like the mash-up classic "Freak Like Me" or the gritty electro-ska of "Hole In the Head", indicate an almost indie edge, while "Push the Button" and "In the Middle" are catering to the dance fans. Best yet is new single "Easy", a lusty and positively unsubtle number that delves into an insatiable, addictive chorus. As if they're not already breaking the bank in terms of hits, if the new tracks are any indication, they're still on a roll.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
SUGABABES = AWESOME (SIMPLY PUT), November 23, 2006
Sugababes' "Overloaded: The Singles Collection" album is so good, you wouldn't wanna stop playing it once you get your hands on it. It's full of great hits, but it also shows how consistent and cutting edge a band Sugababes are. They were always unique from the beginning, being the edgy alternative to the super saccharine dance-pop/teen-pop of the early 2000s. Why they didn't become a huge success in the US, I will never know (just like how I could never figure out why US pop music these days is not so much purely unadulterated, unabashed pop as it is urban-influenced in any way, shape, or form). Still, if one wants to know what the US has been missing out on, an essential collection such as this is a great place to start.
I could say so much more about the band, but let me just focus on the album's content because the pop gems within it are what makes this greatest hits compilation one of the best in years.
1. "Freak Like Me" - Definitely a great rush to open an album. It still sounds really fresh and edgy, even compared to their recent singles. If I were to describe this breakout-to-UK-superstardom single of theirs to a curious American listener, I'd probably say that it's like "Spice Girls on lots of acid." That's not necessarily a bad thing because acid never sounded this damn cool and infectious. It truly makes great use of the scratchy mash-up sound to the point of exploitation: it's raw, primal, robotic, icy, and delivered with lots of nonchalant attitude. Apparently UK listeners found this single pretty exciting too: it became the inaugural chart-topping Sugababes single over there.
2. "Round Round" - Although Sugababes are known to be a very versatile girl group, they have grown to hone two distinct trademark sounds: cool, edgy, sassy dance-pop and dark, brooding, moody (if not trip-hop-ish) ballads. If one song were to best exemplify the former sound the girls have mastered so effortlessly, it would be this track: the mother of all Sugababes dance-pop tracks.
To be quite frank, a lot of the subsequent Sugababes dance-pop tracks have followed the template of this one in order to achieve the same amount of success: hard-edged dance beats that are equal parts campy and club-friendly as well as dubby and grungy (making the tracks sound sexier and sassier).
3. "Red Dress" - Like a younger sonic sibling to the track before it, this number mixes heavy rock guitars, bass, and a meant-for-disco-strutting drum loop to make the Sugababes sound fresh and relevant.
4. "In The Middle" - I think this would probably be the weakest of the Sugababes dance-pop tracks just because it sounds like it was meant to be a 3rd or 4th single to promote an album (which is was). The beats and the song are interesting enough, making it an electro banger. It may have seemed weaker as a single, but ironically next to the superior tracks that came before it, it manages to sound really good and fresh.
5. "Stronger" - After the first four tracks which signalled one of the best multi-track album openings in any album in a while, the tempo changes, but thankfully not for the worse. "Stronger" is one of, if not their best, ballads because it sets itself from any popular (chart-friendly) ballad in the 2000s by incorporating the dark atmospherics and full-bodied beats of trip-hop as well as the melodic infectiousness of pop to make this a great triumph of a track.
6. "Shape" - An antithesis to "Stronger": it's one of their weaker slow tracks, but the quality doesn't slip even when the Sugababes' don't sound as untouchable. It's still a well-executed near-R&B ballad that has a twinkle of silky calm amidst a good serving of backing beats
7. "Overload" - After the two quite good slow tracks, the tempo picks up again with this track. This was the very first Sugababes single to be released and it almost sounds nostalgic (even though it was released only in 2000). So minimal in production compared to the 'Babes' slicker, more elaborately-produced recent singles, but just as effective (if not more) in its infectious delivery. Fast horse-clopping beats combined with other funky band beats, acoustic elements, and the girls' honeyed vocals make this a highlight not only for them, but for 2000s pop music in general.
8. "Good To Be Gone" - A brand new track that actually compliments the other great hits within the compilation. It features some of the most understatedly effortless, sassy, and cool vocal performances from Sugababes' yet, while still being an effectly catchy glam rock-esque track (a la Goldfrapp, with a bit of alternative/indie vibe mixed in - yes, Sugababes are still very much a pop group even with a track like this).
9. "Caught In A Moment" - One of their most romantic ballads, it continues with the trip-hop-inspired production that made "Stronger" so popular. This track is just pure drama, even though Sugababes sound as moody and as icy as ever.
10. "Ugly" - A slight change in direction for Sugababes. They've managed to pull off a little bit more pop/rock into their usual dance-pop rousings. Think Gwen Stefani's "Cool" mixed with beat behind Pink's "Don't Let Me Get Me" and the melody behind TLC's "Unpretty" and you basically have this song in a nutshell.
11. "Easy" - This is probably the biggest grower I've heard from them, but come to think about it, the more their tracks start out as growers, the more addictive they become once you get into them. It has funky verses that mimic early Prince material followed by an explosive bridge/chorus combo that's as devastatingly campy and catchy as it is sassy and commanding.
12. "Too Lost In You" - GASP! It's a Dianne Warren track! Run for the hills before the street cred gets sucked away dry by the powers of MOR pop! Well, thankfully this is one of those rare Dianne Warren epic ballads that manages to sound edgy even though it's got the same kind of infectious pop song structure we've come to expect from her. Kudos to producer Rob Dougan and Sugababes' moodiness for making a track that could have been another sappy disaster sound so damn sexy and mysterious.
13. "Run For Cover" - Taken from their first album, this song definitely still sounds fresh even though the overuse of dubby drumloops makes it sound a bit dated. It's just a really edgy pop song that's a reminder of Sugababes getting a start as an alternative pop band (a.k.a. "an alternative to braindead bubblegum pop").
14. "Hole In The Head" - Think of "Round Round" mixed with some more acoustics and ska elements, and you basically have this track. It gets really catchy during the duration of the song, and it again features some of the most exquisitely sassy vocals from the 'Babes.
15. "Push The Button" - Weird to think the most uncharacteristically Sugababes track has become their biggest worldwide hit single to date: it's very light-weight and very disposable, and the girls actually sound happy in it...Too happy...But then again, they sound as sassy as ever, showing that they're more in command of their sexiness instead of the thought of trying to be sexy commanding them. Brilliant end to a brilliant collection!
Okay, so to completists, this is not the perfect album. It's missing a couple of singles: "New Year," "Soul Sound," "Angels With Dirty Faces," and "Follow Me Home." If the goal of cutting those certain tracks was to make the album tighter, then the tracklister must be paid great dividends because it's done wonders to make this collection sound even more cohesive, more vital, more...SUGABABES! Bottom line, the final verdict is that it would be a mortal sin to not purchase a copy of this album if you even dare consider yourself a pop music fan.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Overloaded With Hits!, November 23, 2006
Sugabebes, one of many really good girlbands from UK have been around for 5 years now and released 4 albums until it's time for Mutya to leave the band and hence release a greatest hits album where all old songs are re-found, however they will be making a new album after this. When they started off in 2000 they were all very young (15-16) and pretty much a teen-pop band, but for the longer they played the better and more mature would their sound become. Band was formed already in 1998 by friends Siobhan Donaghy, Keisha Buchanan, and Mutya Buena. Donaghy appeared on the first album but left later and was replaced by Heidi Range. Although they never had many hits in US, they would become a respected Pop band in Europe. "Overload" their first single from "One Touch", was a hit in 2000 and reached #6 position in UK. The rest of the singles from that album would only be moderate hits and they also got dropped from their record label. However, it turned out to be a good thing cause Island picked them up and sophmore album "Angels with Dirty Faces" would become their best. 4 singles released and all hits. "Freak Like Me" "Round Round" "Stronger" and "Shape" the first two, reaching #1. Third album "Three" gave them yet another #1 single with "Hole In The Head" while the rest of the singles from that album all reached top 10. 4th album "Taller In More Ways" would have both Dallas Austin, Cathy Dennis and Madonna's producer Guy Sigsworth on the producer list and not too surprisingly another #1 hit single came out "Push the Button" while the others all were top 5. This album is the UK version of it, and included most singles + two brand new in "Easy" and "Good to Be Gone". Missing songs are "New Year" and "Soul Sound" from their first album, although "New Year" is included in the US version and "Soul Sound" in the Asian Version. "Angels With Dirty Faces" from the second album with the same name is also missing on this album, but included on both the US and Asian versions. "Follow Me Home" from forth album is also missing, but included on the Us & Asian versions. The Asian version also got another bonus track called "Now You're Gone". This is a little strange and confusing, cause they were most popular in Europe afterall, but a few singles missing out is no big deal. Infact the only song that should be there is "New Year" which actually reached a notable #12 position on the UK charts. Sugababes is an excellent pop band and if you don't know them yet, this is your chance. This collection is pretty much complete. But if you're from US, buy the US version instead.
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