All Saints: Studio 1
by David Lim
Nothing makes a history of cat fights pardonable like a lucrative record deal does to a couple of chart eschewed solo band mates. All Saints famously imploded in the early ’00s after holding up through years of internal bitching. Out spawned a one-hit wonder, sister/duo act: Appletons, an underrated and actually awesome solo album: Shaznay Lewis, and an obscure list of lazy and few in between singles: Melanie Blatt.
All Saints might have been the ’90s antithesis to the Spice Girls, but the girls now awaken to new competition in a pop climate fiercer and more fickle than ever. At first listen, it is satisfying to note that the pack of young mums have caught up with times, tapping into the very ‘now’ summery, dub reggae pop zeitgeist. Studio 1 radiates with a certain glow only seasoned pop minstrels can deliver – and that is consistency from track one to end. There is no genre skipping. No eager to please, covering the bases a la Idol contestants’ debuts.
Just like old times, Ivor Novello award winning song writer, Shaznay Lewis takes the bulk of song writing credits. The strongest outcome on Studio 1 lies in her Greg Kurstin (Gwen Stefani) co-writes. The killer, Rock Steady, makes for an appropriate comeback single with its thinly disguised reconciliation innuendos (“life is so cool when we’re heading towards the same thing…you and I work best in love instead of the fighting”).
Sadly, they don’t come any stronger than that. Sister track, Not Easy, makes for an understandable second single combining a touch of dub reggae, whistling and trombones. The Blatt and Appleton co-write, Too Nasty, shows off signature Saintly harmonies over a Frank Sinatra sample. Elsewhere, the hectic Rick Nowels (Darren Hayes, Jewel) contribution, Chick Fit, was recorded in London, thrown across the Atlantic to LA and then back to London – and sounds every bit the over-tampered jumble that it is.
While On and On tries to recapture Pure Shores and Fundamentals inclusion of the choir mirrors Madonna’s ace Nothing Fails, this record leans closer to Shaznay Lewis’ solo outing, Open. Her own album tracks, Dance and Heart Made Me A Fool would’ve blended in with the Studio 1 set. There she delivered the ska, cod reggae pop moments to a half attentive Brit pop audience before Lily Allen came around and Alesha Dixon had Knock Down. Sure, the songs are there to grow on you, the Saints look trendy as ever and the timing seems right. But really, what’s stopping Studio 1 from going in the way of Bananarama’s Drama?
