This album is absolutely incredible. I am blown away by it. The superb production is a stand out - it all flows expertly from track to track. It's a liberating album in so many ways - for them as a band but also lyrically in songs like Summer of '99 (an instant favourite). I am in love and have it on repeat :wub:

They were added on both Spotify or Apple Music yesterday!!! Just in time for you

 

Perfect it is like they knew!!!

I am absolutely obsessed with this album

 

 

Could spend days deliberating which of the missing demos to add on *cough Your Love and only you cough* but I’d struggle to boot something. This for me might actually be their best album. It’s so them and so perfect and you have that kind of consistency that Ghosts has running through it that it isn’t that every track is so harmonious and the same but like it stands as a BODY of work and fits well together. Quite possibly because Shiv is the one to have 13/13 writing credits.

This is... their best album? Perhaps it doesn't reach the highs of some of their earlier work, but it comes close enough and is easily the most consistent record they've made. I need more.

 

I can't believe these songs are a decade old — it's impressive just how fresh it all sounds (besides the dubstep-lite on 'Victory'). What a missed opportunity by their label, the number of single choices on this...

The middle eight on 'I Lay Down' is so Siobhan. Swoon

I find a New Song and thing to swoon over every run through. Just now it’s Siobhans HEAVEN SENT ad libs at the very very very very tail end of Beat Is Gone

 

 

 

 

Part of me is baffled why Flatline was the lead but part of me thinks is like the perfect amalgamation of the record itself

Remember: Polydor shelved this because they didn't think it had any singles on it and had no idea how to market it.

Edited December 29, 20222 yr by tommie

Had my first listen through just now, really liked it. Some vocal production moments felt quite demo-y to me, but overall it’s such a strong and solid album.

 

My faves are (bear in mind that I haven’t heard any leaks or anything so everything bar ‘Flatline’ is new to me):

 

Flatline, Summer of ‘99, Metal Heart, Beat Is Gone, No Regrets, Today & I Lay Down. The latter is such a gorgeous closer. ‘No Regrets’ is my favourite so far though I think! Excited to listen to this more.

Sorry but Polydor are thick as f***

 

 

This might just dethrone Three as my favourite Sugababes album. It’s that good

Today is starting to get added to New Music Friday on Spotify:

 

@1608558315629604864

 

No idea if the UK one is updated yet.

Wooo! A bit of a streaming boost for it then! I'll be very surprised if there's no UK add, even if at a mediocre position.

I listened to these demos once or twice in the past and my favourites are the same as they were back then - Flatline, No Regrets, I'm Alright, Summer Of '99 and Love Me Hard. Today and Victory are also highlights, the latter sounds extremely Sia though, so I wasn't surprised to see her on the writing credits.

 

It's such a fantastic album, what a treat for the end of the year to have these all out to stream and mastered!

Edited December 29, 20222 yr by gooddelta

Oh wow, interesting! So they may actually slightly be pushing the song?

This is... their best album? Perhaps it doesn't reach the highs of some of their earlier work, but it comes close enough and is easily the most consistent record they've made. I need more.

My thoughts exactly. Although not having any dizzying highs that they've had in the past it is SO consistent and every track is glorious. I am finding new love for tracks that I initially thought would be filler. Swoon, swoon, swoon <3

I just realised that Keisha sings "I'd pray to God he wouldn't drown" and not "A pretty body wouldn't drown" - think I prefer my lyric even though it doesn't make sense :lol:

Oh wow, interesting! So they may actually slightly be pushing the song?

It's just the "focus" track for the playlists, pushing isn't really the word, all albums have a focus song in release week!

I haven’t listened to anything else but this album since it was released on Christmas Eve - I am obsessed.

You’ve all summed up a lot of my thoughts already on this album, it’s stunning. I think Back in the Day might actually be my favourite track though, I think it’s a gorgeous close to the album.

 

What I really appreciate is being able to hear all of their harmonies throughout the album, there are some glorious arrangements here which you really don’t hear across many girl group albums anymore.

Nothing updated yet on NMF UK.

 

Hopefully they will add it there in the coming week... maybe??

wow! just saw this now. It sounds great

I've just realised that Siobhan really sounds like Heidi on I'm Alright (maybe that's why Keisha hates the song???), especially when she does that coo-voice. Or maybe it's vice-versa - except Heidi never sounds like Siobhan because Siobhan when she sings like Siobhan is pretty much hard to imitate.