I actually think they recorded it the day they performed at the Lottery Big Bash.
Sugababes - The Lost Tapes (Deluxe)
- Thread starter Blayke
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They/Them
I never really paid much attention to the Babes until the Taller era so I am pretty new to Siobhan's voice with Keisha and Mutya, but I was a fan due to her stunning performances in the Rent production with Luke Evans. I really love how the three of them sound together and this album is really brilliant. Drum, Metal Heart, Today and Beat Is Gone are the ones I think stand out most at the moment but there is no sign of a dud.
Solenciennes
Staff member
I get a bit irritated at the word “ethereal”… Siobhan’s capable of serving that vibe, and it does indeed appear on The Lost Tapes in places, but I think her ability to play around with syllables and throw in an unpredictable emotion with the slightest deft vocal manoeuvre is a much more fascinating aspect to her craft. The “heartbreak” in Boys being delivered a little unusually is one of those quirky pop moments that makes me tick; the “but some days I sit and wish I was a kid again” in Back In The Day having an almost childlike wistfulness about it; “I went to war for you, I could see through the dark into your heart” in Victory being so staccato, in time with the drum, giving it a war-like trudge… there are just so many subtle moments across every song where the artistry shines through. I’m so grateful Siobhan bossed all the second line up’s bops on tour this time around to break this “ethereal” illusion a bit. It’s a compliment and she more than earned it but the existence of Drum, Boys, Victory and Summer of ‘99 will hopefully diversify some opinions now.
Today and Metal Heart are both really comfortable places for them as a band. They feel really beefy, industrial and edgy. Metal Heart has a typical Sugababes structure (Mutya verse, Keisha verse, Heidi bridge) but Siobhan’s all over both of those verses and the back half of the song is just a fantastic display of the vocal blend they have in twos and as a three, I know there are only so many ways they can arrange any song but it feels quite intentional to give us a song that wouldn’t feel out of place on Angels With Dirty Faces (adjacent to Blue, Round Round and Freak Like Me) but have a twist on that classic formula. Today feels like Keisha’s Get Better, Not Bitter mantra personified. Moody, like the Run For Cover song and video, but goes the other way, Siobhan opens the song instead of being hidden away in the chorus.
Beat Is Gone has Revolution In Me’s DNA for sure but you can feel Mutya’s love for an R&B slow jam shine through. I’m definitely going to have a session where I listen to the album and draw parallels to their past works in depth, it’s fun to spot the similarities.
Today and Metal Heart are both really comfortable places for them as a band. They feel really beefy, industrial and edgy. Metal Heart has a typical Sugababes structure (Mutya verse, Keisha verse, Heidi bridge) but Siobhan’s all over both of those verses and the back half of the song is just a fantastic display of the vocal blend they have in twos and as a three, I know there are only so many ways they can arrange any song but it feels quite intentional to give us a song that wouldn’t feel out of place on Angels With Dirty Faces (adjacent to Blue, Round Round and Freak Like Me) but have a twist on that classic formula. Today feels like Keisha’s Get Better, Not Bitter mantra personified. Moody, like the Run For Cover song and video, but goes the other way, Siobhan opens the song instead of being hidden away in the chorus.
Beat Is Gone has Revolution In Me’s DNA for sure but you can feel Mutya’s love for an R&B slow jam shine through. I’m definitely going to have a session where I listen to the album and draw parallels to their past works in depth, it’s fun to spot the similarities.
The back and forth between Keisha and Siobhan’s vocals in Love Me Hard is honestly so disrespectful. Mamas I need some time to BREATHE.
Absolutely agreed. There’s a rootsiness in her voice that often gets glossed over in assessments about her voice, but it’s the groundedness that makes her “ethereal” moments all that more affecting. Anyone can sing in an upper register. It’s the fact that her resonance has a yearning and a sincerity that makes her vocal performances all the more thrilling. And you’re also right to point out her irregular phrasing. This is in no way glib, but it’s kind of Joni Mitchell at times, not just in how gymnastic her note choices are, but how she plays with syllabic emphasis. And it can’t be stressed enough just how incredible her voice sounds with Keisha’s, who in turn gets pegged only as “the powerhouse”, when Keisha has a kinship in deftness, agility, and grace. It’s clear that all three have a signature they lean in on, but it’s just as wonderful when they play against type. These women were meant to sing together, and it’s remarkable how much they care so much about how they paint with their voices, and more so, about each other.
The way Siobhan chooses to have her voice "fade out" in the "live forever...." of "Summer of '99" is so poignant. It reminds of Fantine's death in the 10th Anniversary Les Miserables concert, where Ruthie Henshall does this de-crescendo and we hear the character die. I know "Summer of '99" has been dismissed by some as inconsequential. But it's no throwaway.
I love the album of course and love the album cover.
However as it would have been ideal to have the original 2013/2014 release date occur, it also would have been amazing if the originally intended album cover image was used for The Lost Tapes.
To have the real picture in full would be great.
Or at least because the album image was first used as a magazine cover, one of the outtakes from the same shoot.
However as it would have been ideal to have the original 2013/2014 release date occur, it also would have been amazing if the originally intended album cover image was used for The Lost Tapes.
To have the real picture in full would be great.
Or at least because the album image was first used as a magazine cover, one of the outtakes from the same shoot.
Reading this with Siobhan's 'Love Me Hard' parts living in my head.
I thought that at first too but now I'm actually quite happy with how it is. The used picture for the cover that was shot by Catherine Servel is just so iconic. I think it's my favorite photo of them, so for me it's fitting that it got used for their best album.it also would have been amazing if the originally intended album cover image was used for The Lost Tapes.
It still would be awesome to get the pictures of the album cover shoot in HQ one day. I'm dreaming about that for years since it's a big missing piece of MKS history. Maybe Siobhan didn't like them so much:
https://www.officialcharts.com/char...ugababes-is-at-the-core-of-who-we-are-__3503/
Follow up question: does the vip ticket include a meet and greet ot just better seat? @Vasilios you must know this beb
I think they do, because it will spread their music to a greater audience. Pitchfork was very positive about both Flatline and the mashup of I Lay Down. I remember the plays of that track going up fast on YouTube after they wrote about.
This album deserves all the recognition it gets. It hopefully also increases the chance of a physical release.
I want that vinyl, baby!
he/him
According to Ticketmaster Australia:
I upgraded my ticket to the VIP when I saw they still had some available and I do not regret that decision at all. I still can't believe this actually happening.
Let’s hope they add some extra hours and won’t close anytime soon though!
Although in a brutal way if they would stop now it would really have been the fullest full circle with this being put out under this very name. But let’s not even think about the end, we are witnessing a beginning here.
I love the album of course and love the album cover.
However as it would have been ideal to have the original 2013/2014 release date occur, it also would have been amazing if the originally intended album cover image was used for The Lost Tapes.
To have the real picture in full would be great.
Or at least because the album image was first used as a magazine cover, one of the outtakes from the same shoot.
Reading this with Siobhan's 'Love Me Hard' parts living in my head.
What photo was supposed to be used for the original album cover? Has it ever been released?
That line, after those glorious ascending adlibs, is harrowing. An absolute moment indeed.
The top picture I posted I'm assuming was to be the album cover for The Sacred Three album, that photo of the picture is all we have.
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