12th Nov- Amirul and Trini
13th nov- Rina and Daphne Yun
The Irish quartet Westlife, who had shot to international fame with their self-titled debut album comprising memorable hits like "Swear it Again", "If I Let You go" and many other singles in 1999, and have been around ever since (even after Brian McFadden left the band to go solo), are back with their new album "Back Home". The album which was released on 5th November, contains nine brand new and original songs and three cover songs as the band has spent recent weeks in the studio working with producers including Steve Mac, Quiz Larossi, Jorgen Elofsson and Maratone.
The four guys have truly grown up, taking on a more 'mature' theme meant mostly for adults. There are only about 2 high beat songs meant for youngsters. Shane's voice is featured prominently in all 12 songs, owing to the fact that he is the lead singer and the most important member of the band. Mark's voice is, as in all other albums, the second-in-command, his rich and soulful voice being the most obvious and distinctive of the four. I find it too much of an irony for Mark to be singing certain lines meant for a girl (like in "Have You Ever"), when in reality, he is officially gay.
One thing I wasn't too happy about the new songs was the fact that Nicky and Kian have been underused yet again, as haf been the case for all other albums. The only song where their solo lines can be heard is "I'm Already There" as well as "The Easy Way"... while Shane and Mark cover abt one full verse and a chorus part each, Kian and Nicky sing only one measly line each!! Their voices were also featured in pre-chorus bits of the latter song. Although Nicky and Kian may not haf distinctive or strong voices like Shane and Mark, surely they deserve much better than just sit pretty and have their voices blended in the chorus parts. Why can't the music co-ordinators give the two more lines? As I listened to all 12 songs, I can't help but think that it seems more like a two-person effort (Shane and Mark) than a teamwork for all four members.
I rate the album 3.5 out of 5 stars... buy it only if you're still supporting Westlife like I do. Not a bad album, but not a memorable one either. Seems like the producers seem to be running out of upbeat songs for the band that had outlasted other bands like Boyzone and N-Sync. I honestly prefer "Face To Face".
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