The Wanted // Show Me Love (America)

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So….The Wanted’s last single, We Own The Night really didn’t impress us. So will the next single from the album, Word of Mouth impress us?

Well….we’re on the fence with it. In one hand, it sounds more them than some of the previous material we’ve heard (we mean single wise rather than album wise) but on the other, we can’t help think that it’s trying to fill a gap left by the likes of Westlife. But hopefully we can see it as a sign that the boys are coming back to a sound where they belong.

Rating: 3/5

The Wanted // We Own The Night

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Good evening this is London calling, here are results of the British vote…..oh wait, wasn’t Eurovision a few months ago? That’s what spring’s to mind when we hear The Wanted’s latest offering of We Own The Night.

Somewhere along the line we can’t help think that the boys have gotten slightly lost. This is something that we would have expected from someone like…One Direction. Apart from mayble lyrics, there’s nothing new here. It sounds very like fun.’s Some Nights but we can’t help singing the Mike & The Mechanics song Word Of Mouth…oh wait, coincidence that they’re new album is titled Word Of Mouth….hmmm…..

All is forgiven boys if we could get back to a sound of the last two albums. There was some good stuff there. But this…this definitely in our book does not own the night…

Rating: 1/5

The Wanted // I Found You

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We've been finding out that the songs from The Wanted always seem to be a bit of a hit or miss. This latest offering seems to be hitting more of a miss .

It's a track that doesn't quite know what it is. I Found You carries a faint scent of Glad You Came but that's about it. On the other hand, it sort of reminds of a cheesy europop tracks. Come the chorus, it reminds us of the Scissor Sisters with high pitched vocals.

It's feels that they're not entirely sure who they are any more and maybe they're needing time to re-find who they are. Not sure how the track will be received but it's not tickling our fancy at all.

Rating: 2/5

The Wanted // Chasing The Sun

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iTunes

We’ve sort of felt that The Wanted have been sort of hit or miss with us. Their latest offering comes in the form of Chasing The Sun.

The song was written and produced by Example, which on hearing you can probably tell it has that sort of Example feel to it. It’s the vocals that really do provide more of a melody to this with it being generic synths and beats, but it somehow works. Yet we can help but feel that the repetitive oh oh oh oh does seem dragged out in the choruses, almost like it was a tag like insert something here later and then has been forgotten to be altered.

It’s a nice little track that itself would probably have people up dancing, but there’s also this little nagging voice telling us that the boys have done better in the past….Maybe it’s all that American sun that affecting the track….

rating:3.5/5

The Wanted // Battleground

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Download @ iTunes (Standard) | Download @ iTunes (Deluxe)

(This review is based on the standard edition of the album)

The ever popular The Wanted return this year with their second album offering in the form of Battleground. Given that we weren’t too impressed with the debut, have they learned anything?

Opening with the appropriate Glad You Came with it nice into, it’s straight into the current single Lightening. Warzone drops the tempo slightly into a rocky ballad (and is slated to be the next single from this album early next year) before heading into the building Invincible.

Another ballad in the form of Last To Know and I’ll Be Your Strength (though the latter is piano driven, with tasteful drumbeats thrown in just after midway). Rocket is a nice upbeat pop song whilst I Want It All is piano and guitar driven with some nice harmonies.

The Weekend harks back to the sound of the first track but also reminds of old 90s electronic tracks. Lie To Me has a sort of Take That feel to it and has a sort of odd feeling to it. The album ends with the official Comic Relief single from this year, Gold Forever wrapping everything up quite nicely.

It’s obvious that these guys have paid attention and have grown in a musical sense. There’s much more of a grownup feeling to this album than the debut. With it already boasting 3 top 10 hits, it shows that the boys are determined to make this work.

Rating: 4/5

The Wanted // Glad You Came

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It's been a few months since The Wanted released a new song (the last being Forever Gold for Comic Relief) but now they're back with their new single, Glad You Came.

Whilst it is different from previous releases and shows a progression, it can't help be felt that they are simply playing catch up to what is already in the charts (we're thinking Jennifer Lopez and JLS at the moment). Yes it's summer and no doubt that it will probably be played in the clubs and fans will enjoy. While it nice to see them going with the flow and being with the in-crowd, it also means that there's nothing making them stand out.

Hopefully, with their debut single, All Time Low now available in the US, they won't slip into a trap just to fit in over there.

Rating 3.5./5

The Wanted // Gold Forever

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The hottest boy band of the moment, The Wanted have been given the honour of singing this years official Comic Relief single, Gold Forever

Now you know that it is bound to go to number one just for fact that it is a charity single…and it’s The Wanted.  It isn’t the best song from the band, nor is it one of the best official songs to come out for Comic Relief. Still, the video is probably the best laugh with a ‘How many celebrities can you name?’ in it.

Go on. Buy it. You know you want to. And it’s for charity as well.

Rating:4/5

The Wanted // The Wanted

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The hottest boy band at the moment release their self titled debut album this month. So does it live up to the hype?

The album opens with debut single All Time Low followed by second single Heart Vacancy. Lose My Mind has a very King's Of Leon feel to it (in particular, Need Somebody). Replace Your Heart keeps the pace but has too much of a boyband feel to it (sounds like something Westlife would do).

Hi And Low drops the tempo again and feels a little out of place on the album as it's feels a little bare. Let's Get Ugly samples the well known theme to the Clint Eastwood film, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly (originally composed by Ennio Morricone) an the chorus lyrics could be seen as some kind of homage to it (Cause they're so good/I'm so bad/So lets get ugly).

Say It On The Radio could be a Lady Gaga track in disguise (they'd just have to have a video to that standard). Golden requires a translator to understand what's being said for the majority of it. Weakness is an appropriate title for the next song. Like The Saturday's Missing You, this just doesn't seem to go anywhere when you expect it to.

A very cliché left, left right left right and typical military drumming opens Personal Soldier. Sadly doesn't kind live up to what you'd expect. Behind Bars is a rocking little that in the opening misleads the listener thinking it's going to be something soppy with the strings on their own.
The next track up is Made (recently made available on iTunes as their Single of The Week) and isn't a bad sounding number. Wonder why it's as far down the list though... The last track is A Good Day For Love To Die leaves you wondering where the rest of the album is

Overall, while there are some great little numbers on the album, it has a feeling that they are attempting to sound like everyone else already out there and not trying to stand out from the crowd. Sadly not something that was expected from the newest band on the music scene

Rating: 3/5

The Wanted // Heart Vacancy

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The boy band of the moment are back with their second single, and this time round, the boys are taking things down for a lovely little ballad number.

Heart Vacancy is a world away from the debut All Time Low but shows that, so far, the boys aren't one genre performers. Melodically, the song is great with beautiful acoustic guitar and a smooth baseline to boot. Lyrically, it questionable. It leaves you feeling as if there is another song that should be listening to rather than this one.

Overall, it's good that the boys are showing different genre, but it could be that, because of the success of All Time Low, that any follow up is probably going to be difficult. But with a self titled album on the way, hopefully what they've already offered us in these two helpings is likely to be continued. On a report card, it may read: nice attempt but needs more work.

Rating:3.5/5

The Wanted // All Time Low

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Look out JLS! The Wanted are the latest boy band to hit the music scene. Their debut single, All Time Low. It’s a very misleading track with what sounds like an orchestrated opening,gradually building into a great little pop song.

It’s a very catchy song and soon sticks in your head. It’s a fresh injection of talent that’s not been spoon fed to us via some talent show. Hopefully this isn’t hitting a high too soon to make them only one hit wonders. Most likely a very good rival to some other boy bands out there

Rating:4/5