While Chasing Lights gave this rainbow-coloured fivesome a top 10 album, they clearly aren’t interested in resting on their laurels. It seems barely five minutes since the release of their debut and already they’re back for more chart domination. Vocally The Saturdays don’t put a foot wrong. The edgy, Rihanna-esque ‘Ego’ is a high point, ‘One Shot’ is catchy enough and ‘Lose Control’ just about gets away with its distinctly GaGa-ish chorus. Title-track ‘Wordshaker’ boasts some masterful belting, courtesy of the astonishing Vanessa White.
Lead single ‘Forever Is Over’, co-written by James Bourne of Busted fame (there’s a record label meeting we want nothing to do with), is a ballsy club hit that will grow on you, but still isn’t half as funky as the cream of the first record.
Attempts at ballads are even more unfortunate, with the exception of ‘Not Good Enough’ which is just penetrating enough to be a hit. The sappy ‘2am’ by comparison, brings to mind The Supremes’ ‘Baby Love’ chucked in a grinder and tragically reconstituted courtesy of the magical Auto-Tune box.
Despite throbbing synths and rocky rhythms, there’s just too much shrill filler on Wordshaker for it to showcase the girls’ real abilities. Even after a few good listens, I can’t sing along to a single one of these songs, and isn’t that what bands like The Saturdays are for?