Are the Sugababes the best singles band in the UK? After first three singles from Taller In Most Ways you may have expected the quality to fall away. Yet this is another pop masterclass - smooth, moving and swooning, a downtempo track but not a desperate plea nor a power ballad.
Amelle Barrabah's vocals are present here, a re-recording since the Mutya's sad departure. Yet it is Heidi Range's voice that steals the show, swelling up with the rising arrangement. The strings are on slow burn, while the bass is gritty and the song itself crackles with a little fake vinyl hiss. Then the chorus comes bursting out of the verses like Theo Walcott on speed.
Only Girls Aloud come close to the quality of the Sugababes' singles at the moment. When pop is this polished and sharp, it's another solid silver nail in the coffin of monochrome 'indie rock'. It's just a shame that it appears they won't be releasing their stoming cover of Animotion's Obsession. The gauntlet is down - can anyone rise to the challenge?
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