Album Review: Pixie Lott – Pixie Lott
3 min read
What do three UK number one singles, multiple top ten hits and high charting albums have in common? Hopefully English singer/songwriter Pixie Lott was your biggest guess, because she’s back for more. Miss Lott virtually came out of nowhere in 2009 when her debut single Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh) flew straight to number one on the UK album charts; her debut album Turn It Up was soon certified double-platinum, and was followed by her sophomore top 20 effort Young Foolish Happy. Now Pixie returns with her third record, Pixie Lott.
The album opens with Lott’s sixth UK top 10 hit, lead single Nasty; it brings on some punchy pop with an attitude problem, the brass doing its thing in the background brings added realness along with Pixie’s desirable voice. Lay Me Down is introduced by some crazy cool whistling, the keyboard is played powerfully to add to the lifting dynamics of the track; Lott turns her pop ballad on with Break Up Song, it’s one of those cheesy ‘yeah we’re breaking up, but cant’ we still get along?’ numbers we tend to hear from many a pop star. Just when you thought Pixie couldn’t have anymore soul when delivering her vocal, in comes Champion which proves an energetic triumph; unfortunately Kill A Man is ramble, which is a shame because the composition could have been so much more. Ain’t Got You falls short as well, Lott’s vocal is somewhat under strain and sounds uncomfortable; the high pitched whistle returns in the intro to Heart Cry but isn’t so welcome nor necessary, the track overall lacks character in comparison to the opening tracks of the album in terms of atmosphere and oomph, not to mention with each song the lyrics seem to get a little bland.
Ocean goes for the slow intro followed by a musical explosion that launches the song into full capacity, but still leaves the glass half full with barely a drop of redemption; Raise Up demonstrates another nice vocal performance, but still isn’t a memorable track. Out With A Bang is annoyingly mundane, the repetition of the word ‘bang’ is a cry for help and the overall feel of the track just wasn’t enticing; however, Leaving You finally brings something back to the table, exploring Lott’s incredible vocal range to deliver a solid ballad. It feels like forever before the acapella introduction to Cry And Smile subsides (if 45 seconds counts as so long), before the piano kicks in; rather than a bang, the album ends with another ballad about crying non stop over somebody.
Pixie Lott started off as what could have been a potentially stellar album from the UK pop starlet, but somehow after its fourth track it loses its zing, therefore its personality. Pixie’s cited Motown influences are definitely thrown in and noticeable in tracks such as the radio friendly Nasty, the edgy Champion and the forgettable Heart Cry, but the delivery wasn’t always there. Unfortunately there are more tracks that are lowlights than highlights on this record, an album should represent an artist’s best work at the time of production and Pixie Lott isn’t an example of this. Pixie is a talented girl and a lot has been expected of her since her highly successful debut into the music industry, but this album fall short of showcasing that talent we all fell in love with when we first listened to Mama Do. Sorry Pixie, but maybe next time.
