When Cheryl Cole released the freaky masterpiece “3 Words” with will.i.am, I thought she was going to evolve into a true artist instead of a celebrity with pop product to sell. Well, most of the singles that have followed truly underwhelmed. Nadine Coyle signed an exclusive deal with Tesco which made her dazzling album impossible to get in the States (I eventually did, get the CD – the artwork is fabulous). Thankfully, Nicola makes it much easier to buy even though it is tragically not available domestically (hint – order from Amazon’s UK partner and save a boatload of coin, mine was less than 15 US clams – delivered).
Let’s get down to business–Nicola aligned herself with M.I.A.’s former partner in crime, Diplo and some similarly minded geniuses I am not too familiar with. The result is a ton of insanely addictive singles. Freaky beats. Skittering asides. Monster hooks. Weird in all the good ways. Nicola’s voice is one of those love it or hate it affairs – a bit shrill at times – but I adore it. She packs punch, sass and attitude into every line she utters.
Not every track is a masterpiece – but the weak links are still better than most everything on American pop radio these days. Perhaps the US edition (please, please, I will buy it again) will include the b-sides “Fix Me” “Disco, Blisters and a Comedown” and “Dance in the Rain” all of which are as good, if not better, than anything on the album.
Hearing this, I am less concerned with a Girls Aloud reunion – so long as Nicola keeps her mojo flowing, the pop world will be just fine.
