Early Reviews

I DO NOT OWN THE ALBUM, AND I HAVEN'T HEARD IT YET. BUT...

01. Revolution - Same version as the one that leaked except it's much more crisp sounding. Better bass. Fantastic start to the album. Just noticed it's shorter than the leak. It cuts out the "army army army army army" bit after the first chorus. Now it only has it after the second and third choruses.

02. Bittersweet - Same as single version.

03. Off & On - The new version is lovely! it's actually got a slightly longer beginning than the one from the radio. There's a couple seconds before Calvin's signature synths come in.

04. Heartbreak - Same as single version.

05. Not Giving Up On Love - Same as single version.

06. Can't Fight This Feeling - Same.

07. Starlight - Same as previously heard, only cripser and cleaner sounding. Really lush.

08. Under Your Touch - OKAY. Review starts now! This starts off with some eerie synths, then the beat fades in. There's these really striking synths and "creepy" noises running through the verses. The chorus has some really good bass. The electro/synthesized voice from the album chart show is still there in the "I'm so ready for love. Want to be under your touch" bit. Don't expect anything too different from the performance. Except that the ending has an absolutely BEAUTIFUL strings section! Amazing!

09. Make A Scene - The intro is just some really random synths. Very "wobbly" sounding. Then a very slow beat starts. Sophie comes in, almost speaking in monotone. There are some odd percussive beats in this one. Then once the bridge/chorus kick in, some really awesome saxophone comes in! It's probably a tenor saxophone, from the sounds of it. It's really low sounding, and very groovy. Almost Mark Ronson sounding. This track is quite bonkers, and very experimental. Definitely hear the Metronomy influence. The chorus goes "So come on now, let's make a scene. Queen and king, king and queen. From the chandelier, make a scene." The sax and crazy drums are present throughout the rest of it. This would have made a fantastic album opener, actually.

10. Magic - Starts out with some backup vocalists singing some "ooh ooh ooh ohh ooh's" in really high-pitched, whispery vocals. The beat fades in. This is definitely much more upbeat than the other Richard X track. There is still a beautiful melancholy feel in there, like 'Starlight." There's some pretty "plucking" synths in the first verse. The chorus goes "I need your love to hold me like a Sun. Inside my heart, I still believe in magic. Without your touch, don't know what I'd become. With all my heart, I still believe in magic." There's some nice strings in the chorus. After the first chorus, the song almost sounds even more fierce. The strings in the chorus are actually quite 'Me & My Imagination' sounding! After the second chorus, we get this extremely FIERCE section with some VERY gritty synthesizers, and Sophie asking "Do you believe? Do you believe?" And after that, we get this absolutely beautiful bit with some sighs and coo's from Sophie. Then we're treated to the chorus one more time. There's a big instrumental outro (again, like 'Starlight'). I'd say this is Sophie 'Songs Remind Me Of You.'

11. Dial My Number - Very heavy synths. Again, it's what you'd expect after hearing the live version from the youtube videos. Very dancey. My favorite bit is the bridge leading to the chorus when it says "you don't understand" etc. But yeah, not much more to say since we've heard the live version.

12. Homewrecker - Starts out with some minor sounding organ bits. Then a "plonky" synth and drum beat kicks in. This song is good, but not as good as the rest. Probably my least favorite out of the stuff we haven't heard. There's a lot of songs that Greg Kurstin used in 'Revolution' that make an appearance here too. The bridge uses that funky guitar that is used in 'Revolution's "face to face, it's murder..." bit. The chorus goes "To all the girls round the world, stealing someone else's guy, You're going round breaking hearts, it ain't gonna work this time." In the chorus, it has that Thriller-esque synth. The middle 8 has a bit that genuinely sounds like when Goldfrapp use theremin on live versions of 'Train' and 'Yes Sir!' That part is actually pretty brilliant. It's very cooky and zaney sounding.

13. Synchronized - Starts off with a crackly record noises, then some really beautiful HARP is played. This is an electro-ballad. It's quite midtempo in reality, but definitely slower than the rest. Don't be fooled by the Ina Wroldsen co-write. This isn't a Saturdays castaway. This is a beautiful Sophie slowly at its finest. The harp can be heard throughout the entire sound, accompanied by really warm and lovely synths. The chorus says "And I locked it up baby, I never said I could win you. But I lock it up tightly, I am synchronized with you." All the lovely synths and all other instrumentation drops out for the middle 8, and it's just Sophie singing over the harp. It's a touching song. There is a REAL longing in Sophie's voice. Just wow. We're treated some beautiful ad libs at the end. So dreamy.

14. Cut Straight to the Heart - Starts off with piano and a drum beat that almost sounds like a heartbeat. It's quite sad sounding. The chorus adds in a really cool synth noise that nearly sounds like the signature riff from Pet Shop Boys' 'Domino Dancing.' The chorus has a real longing in it again, and it goes "Don't let me go. Now I'm right where I want to be. Don't let me go. You cut straight to the heart of me." After the first chorus, there's an absolutely beautiful bit that sounds like something you'd hear on Goldfrapp's 'Black Cherry' album. It's very atmospheric while still having quite a good kick. It's midtempo for sure, but not necessarily a ballad. The chorus also has handclaps in it that aren't in the verses. The ending is quite cool, with an eerie, spacey synthesizer. It finishes with a handclap.

The album is fucking AWESOME. Well worth the wait. None of you will be disappointed. It exceeded my expectations, actually. The production is absolutely phenomenal. No, I cannot share the album with anyone. I am sorry. You will all hear it soon enough, and I can assure you that you will all be very happy when you hear it.

Click on the image below to view the album cover in Ultra HQ