The Sugababes Discography Rate
- Thread starter beyoncésweave
- Start date
he/him
Back when I didn't really know any of their songs, one of the first ones he showed me on plug.DJ was Ace Reject which makes me think it has a special place in his heart. Just don't overlook it, is all I'm saying.
D
Deleted member 3416
I'm hoping @beyoncésweave's 11 is Run For Cover but we'll see.
I believe I was PMed at some point with a plea to change (raise) my score for one of those songs, so it may be that one.
New year
Same rate
Keisha voice: LET'S GO!
Same rate
Keisha voice: LET'S GO!
#57
Colder In The Rain
Score: 7.191
Highest: 10/10 x 6 (@kal, @Voodoo, @Methyn Marquis, @Island, @marie_05, @Blayke)
Lowest: 3/10 x 1 (@Uno)
My score: 8.5/10
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Three continues to shed B-sides left and right; this elimination leaves only “Someone In My Bed” standing, which I’m not sure is right because this is clearly superior. Part of the fantastic suite of B-sides off “In The Middle” this is a superb ballad that ranks as among their best. The girls continue to turn up and deliver, even on supposed offcuts, particularly Mutya who absolutely smoulders through that first verse, the harmonies which envelope the choruses and some great Keishalibs at the end. Add to that, this muted, lowkey, piano-led production (whose somewhat unfinished state actually ends up serving the track well, like several of their B-sides), and the stage is set for a deeply atmospheric and evocative take on depression. The song veers from questioning of reality (“Nothing seems to be real everything's a dream”) to despair (“I'm breaking, help me”) to self-reproach (“And there's no one else to blame”), oscillating between the latter two and ending things on a decidedly dark tone. There’s such a sense of helplessness here, of clutching around for anything to latch onto that even the statements of affirmation (e.g. I will learn from my mistakes”, “my tears will dry”) seem like desperate clutchings.
As such, it’s a fantastic accompaniment to fellow “In The Middle” B-side “Disturbed” – which traverses similar ground on depression, particularly with its “Who am I to blame?” couplet that matches the “And there's no one else to blame” refrain here. Together, the pair proves just how on point they were during the Three era. And allow me to play my broke record for the final time, but this obviously definitely should have been on the album and would have boosted its thematic palette; providing a curtain of actual darkness to the already sonically gritty proceedings (and providing intriguing substance to the veneer of hard-faced, no cares glowering on the album). I mean, just imagine this, “Disturbed” and “Who” swapping out “Sometimes”, “Twisted” and “We Could Have It All”; my album average would go up by nearly a whole point, which is absurd for an album I’ve already rated so high.
”The finest Three B-side” declares mrdonut (7). Ironheade (8.5) goes one step further, in third person: “Ironheade being impressed by a B-side, whatever will happen next? No, seriously, this is among the upper echelon of Sugaballads, and easily their best B-side. Mutya's vocals are fantastic, plaintive and emotionally nuanced as they always are on ballads, and the piano lines are all superb, big, dramatic and cavernous in the best way possible. Then we get to the bridge, with its soft electric piano and rising clean guitars adding a slight trip-hop edge that I really like. Lyrically, it's also rather good. Mixing-wise, it sounds like it could use some more work (a bit too much reverb and thin-sounding drums, I'd say), but that's ultimately only a minor quibble for this neglected gem.”
Poor Mina (5), meanwhile, gets both her opinions and references hopelessly wrong, “Giving me shades of Spice Girls for some reason. But otherwise unremarkable.” Gorl, this sounds about as far from the Spice Girls as possible. Constantino (7) doubles down on the inaccurate girlband references, “I’ve never listened to an early All Saints album in full but I imagine this being representative of the sound.” While I can sort of see this, I think the good sis is perhaps misled too much by the Orbit singles off Saints & Sinners whose dreamy *atmospheric pop music* aesthetic might correlate to “Colder In The Rain” (but don’t in fact represent the sound of that album completely). Bless yoself and go listen to it and All Saints in full, boo boo!
“Bit of a groove on this one, nice harmonies and piano. I like the distorted vocals,” reckons acl (7.8). “I love this,” squeals tylerc904 (9), “I remember my younger/dumber self thought the lyric was "I'm breaking helmet" instead of "I'm breaking (or is it praying?), help me". Lolz.” Lolz! Sprockrooster (9) once again finds a way to be simultaneously correct and incorrect: “This would not have worked on its parent album, but definitely a fantastic track and it shows their Three era also served serious strong B-sides.”
stopthestatic (7.4) au contraires “No idea why this was left off the album…the production drowns out the vocals a lot but overall it’s a worthy track and better than some of the songs on the second half of the actual album.” Runawaywithme (9) also gushes in the same vein, “I really love this one; the lyrics are really great and interesting and the dark harmonies are really cool. The chorus is really great and the crashing whirpool of harmonies is really ethereal and haunting. The song reminds of cold rainy winter nights when you’re a bit of a mess and you’re absolutely soaked, freezing and confused about why you have ended up here. The production also really makes this song for me as all the different elements blend together really well for me and I just love dark slightly distorted pop songs and I always have and I don’t know why. I think that this would make a great addition the album and its collection of strong midtempos.” As does an even more enthusiastic Blayke (10), “this should have been on the album. The outer-world feeling of the song during Mutya’s voice and the almost gospel feel of the chorus is just delicious. I love that the B-Sides and this one in particular has a dark feeling full of sullen moods and nonchalance. Mutya and Keisha harmonise so well on this song and Heidi serves good purpose. I would have loved to have heard this song live.”
Remorque (8) changes tack slightly on album placement, and I find myself agreeing with him: "Such a fucking soulful song. All three ladies are on top form on this one and it would have fit in quite well on Taller in More Ways, moreso than on Three. To me, it’s a metaphor for loneliness and how one can get lost in the world they’re accustomed to. Gives me the fucking feels every time I listen to it. Oh, and Keishad-libby on top form here, yath.” “That opening Mutya verse shatters me into pieces from jump, by the time the chorus rolls around and the beat finally drops, it’s among their finest songs ever,” stans CasuallyCrazed (9.5). Chanex (8.5) is also, for a change, aboard the Mutya Express, “WOW! This justifies the endless slog through all of these bonus tracks. I had to let Mutya lead the way and trust her to deliver a hidden gem. And she did not disappoint. Kinda in love. Granted I'm a sucker for the beat kicking in on the second verse and scratchy LP noises.”
Filler (7), like me sometimes, gets this confused with another B-side but is correct nonetheless, “Always get this one mixed up with “Like the Weather”. Doesn't matter, both good. Top-notch commentary here. Bye.” Speaking of top notch commentary, here’s PCDPG (6) who offers insightfully, “Just okay”. Solenciennes (7) just needs a little bit more to climax: “the way the intro to the song builds makes me think it’s going to explode into something else entirely but it’s quite a restrained affair and I’m always a little disappointed it doesn’t pop off more.” londonrain (9) is a bit more patient, “Takes some time to kick off, but I like the harmonies on this and it works (although the production sounds slightly strange).”
Let’s conclude with poor, sure-to-be-heartbroken kal whose 10s are falling all over the place (which is what happens when you give out 33 of them kii), “They really spoiled us with the “In The Middle” B-sides. This could easily be an amazing album track and even a single. I suppose that like “Disturbed”, the subject matter is a bit too serious and that’s the only reason it was left off the album. ‘This is our world/Can’t take no more/I’m breaking, help me/Tell me where to go…’ The lyrics of this song strike really close to home.” They really do.
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Oh, I remember that! Yas at it working, cos you're here and stanning for ya damn life! "Ace Reject" does indeed have an incredibly special place in my heart. You'll find out just how special ... very soon.
Welcome back @beyoncésweave! I'm so exciting for this to get going again!
Although you've been posting consistently since the break started but I won't go into that now
Although you've been posting consistently since the break started but I won't go into that now
Solenciennes
Staff member
I can't remember how this goes off the top of my head so I guess this is the right place for it to exit.
Mess.
I can't believe this is out. I can't believe I only gave 33 tens. How many did the good sis @Blayke hand out?
He/Him
Oh, I remember that! Yas at it working, cos you're here and stanning for ya damn life! "Ace Reject" does indeed have an incredibly special place in my heart. You'll find out just how special ... very soon.
This had better NOT be a hint at us losing Ace Reject in the near future!
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londonrain
Staff member
THIS. Let's hope we don't find out what the scores were for quite some time - anything less than a top 10 placing for Ace Reject would be criminal.
In the meanwhile, this is going to haunt me. Let's hope this is an MKS "soon" and not an actual soon.
