Push The Button
The lead single from the album and a UK Number One for the 'babes, who at this time were Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Heidi Range. Halfway through the album, Mutya disbanded and was replaced by Amelle Berrabah and it is the re-recorded version of the album that I am going to review. The beat on this, as well as the melody, is quite repetitive and I am surprised that the song did as well as it did. There is a fine line between catchy and annoying and this song gets to me a little. I am obviously in the minority, since this song more than did its job for the girls. The lyric is about the Sugababes waiting for a boy to ask each one of them out and, if they are ready to do so, they need to Push The Button to let the girls know. The video likens this to calling a lift/elevator; making it stop on your floor.
Gotta Be You
Turn the lights down low, introduces the song with a lyric that is almost rapped, suiting Amelle much better than it did Mutya and showing that she was the right person to be added to the band. The beat is harder than in 'Push The Button' and the song is a head nodder rather than for dancing around your handbag to like 'Button'. The subject is a break up, directed to the recent ex and describes that, since the girls are not at fault, it's Gotta Be You.
Follow Me Home
The second single release to be taken from the album after the addition of Amelle Berrabah and last release from 'Taller In More Ways'. The style is in direct contract to the first two songs, since it is a ballad, though once again it is sang direct to the men in question. The Sugababes recognise that love can sometimes hurt and invite their partners to Follow Them Home so that they may weather the storm, whatever the cost. The song is beautiful, strings feature heavily over the choruses that have perfect harmonies, as well as more contemporary elements, such as scratching. For me this is the best song on the album.
Joy Division
The electric guitar, gets scratched into a Reggae-influenced, bass heavy track. The vocal is low for the verse, high for the chorus and catchy. The lyric is about not being a piece of meat sitting in a Delicatessen (seriously) and turning somebody down. Not the best song on the album but not so bad that I would call it a filler either.
Red Dress
The third cut from the album and first single with Amelle as a fully fledged 'babe. The bass guitar calls the shots on this dancey track and the second chorus (this song has two) sang by Amelle lets us know why she was chosen to replace Mutya Buena. The song is about the girls pulling the strings in what men believe is a man's world and how they don't need any tricks to wrap men around their little fingers. It is catchy, well worth the single release and shows that the departure of Mutya was not going to stop the Sugababes.
Ugly
The second single release from the album, the final to feature Mutya and another smash hit for the girls. The sound is more acoustic than the rest of the album and has the message that, no matter what you look like, 'People are all the same And we only get judged by what we do. Personality reflects name And if I'm ugly then so are you.' The girls take it in turns to recount the names they were called when they were younger, which got them down and how, as they got older, they got comfortable with their own style, grew 'Taller In More Ways' and realised that the name calling was out of envy rather than anything else. A lot of people liked this for it to head towards the top of the charts but I myself am not really a fan. I find the song a little flat and lacking that certain something that the rest of the album has.
It Ain't Easy
Acoustic guitars start off this song, with electronic feedback, which gives the song an urgency reflected in the quick vocal. What isn't easy is being with the girls, since they have strong minds, won't be controlled and it is all about them. The bridge, sang by Heidi, sounds almost medieval, like 'Broken Glass' by Annie Lennox and there are a lot of Glam Rock moments. Such a mish mash of styles should sound disjointed but comes across as feisty, in keeping with the lyric; bullying you into liking the track.
Bruised
This song is all about the bass guitar too. The rest of the accompaniment is perussion, some electronic sounds and the harpsichord. The strange combination does work with moderate success, though fails to make this a stand out track. The vocal is quite low and the lyric is about being in a war with a partner and telling them to leave you alone until the love has gone and you can move on.
Obsession
This song is pure eighties and sounds great! The girls used this to open their set for the tour that accompanied the release. Someone has caught the 'babes eye and they need to 'possess' this person. The lyric does convey the obsessive nature of their affections: I will have you, Yes, I will have you. I will find a way and I will have you. Like a butterfly, a wild butterfly, I will catch you and capture you. You are an obsession. You're my obsession. Who do you want me to be To make you sleep with me? The performance made the song more tongue in cheek rather than stalker and, taking the song with a pinch of salt will have you reaching for the dance floor rather than the straight jackets.
Ace Reject
The girls love their bass and the guitar features on this with plucked, verging on reggae, additional rifts. The vocal is catchy and slower than the pace of the song until we get to the chorus, where it speeds up. The song is about a relationship and its ups and downs. They are currently on a down and the bridge, sang by Heidi, is about realisation that the relationship has probably run its course. She says, 'Ain't if funny how sweet I dream but the bed keeps getting colder'. It's safe to say that the spark has gone out of the relationship but not out of this track, which is one of my favourites from 'Taller In More Ways'.
Better
Being brutally honest, I don't like this song. It sounds as though it could have fallen off a Disney soundtrack and has some frankly bizarre 'oohs' during the chorus have me skip this more often than not. The song is uptempo and is about dusting yourself down, picking yourself up and facing each day with a smile and positive attitude. You control your own destiny. The sentiment is good. The song is not.
2 Hearts
The pace drops for this almost acapella song that sees Heidi sing over the acoustic guitar at the beginning. When the music drops in, we have drums and strings that sound a little out of place. The music is disjointed, which reflects the lyric about being in one relationship as two hearts, two minds and two mouths. The girls are wondering whether they and their partner can make it through the storm together and, as the uncomfortable strings beome more of a protagonist and harmonise with the style of the percussion, the answer would appear to be yes. I think that this will take a few more listens for me to start feeling it but it is not bad.
Now You're Gone
The girls have been dumped and they are upset. Low strings accompany a fast drum beat and another heavy bassline, which later sees the introduction of the electric guitar. The lyrics are sad and leave us feeling down at the end of the album, which is good in so much as it will leave you thinking about what you just heard but you don't always want to be depressed by music and the album could have maybe done with just one more song to raise the mood a little.
'Taller In More Ways' starts strong and ends a little weak. Following the release of this, the girls released their 'Overloaded' singles collection (which they criminally left 'Follow Me Home' off (as well as two of the singles from their first album). On listening to 'Overloaded', you are reminded of all of the brilliant tracks that the Sugababes have turned in and, whilst 'Push The Button' was the girls' biggest hit up until that point, the girls are more capable than what this project would have you believe. The 'Overloaded' single release: 'Easy' is a welcome return to form and will no doubt feature as Tune of the Day soon! Stand out tracks from 'Taller In More Ways' are 'Follow Me Home', 'Red Dress', 'Obsession' and 'Ace Reject'. I would recommend listening to these first before deciding to invest in the whole album.
Sugababes' Official Website: www.sugababes.com
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