Girls Aloud - Sound Of The Underground (CD 2003)

Purely because they'd just been shoved together and the production te4am wasn't quite ready for them as people yet, this album does have a few weak tracks on it. BUT-that isn't to the detriment of the verall album, as it still holds some of their finest work to date. Depending on which version you buy you could be getting hold of the fantastic Don't Want You Back, a semi ballad with great vocals from the girls and one of their strongest in that era. Or the unforgettable Love Bomb, slightly irritating yes, but a worthy bside no less.
Anyway, kicking off with the first four singles (for some reason Jump's on both their first albums in the same place)the album has a very strong start, going into the ever so slightly weaker Some kind of miracle which may take ages to grow but it is a good pop song nonetheless. It has catchy 'ba ba ba's' and thats all it needs. All I Need/All I Don't and Mars Attacks are odd song choices, and would certainly be the most skippable aspect of the album - they're not vey Xenomania and therefore don't fit in well with the girls overall sound. But then you reach You Freak me Out and all is well again; fantastically catchy, pop rock esque expose of angry teenage girls. Stop and Girls Allowed are dancey and very catchy, followed by the bizarrely cheesy ballad Forever and a Night which isn't really that bad though one tries to not like it. I really enjoy Love/Hate and Boogie Down love as they're the more nonsensical, dancey numbers off the album with great breakdowns and nevertheless confusing lyrics. Then you come to the piece du resistance, the gorgeous White Lies, an absolute 'choon' of epic proportions this semi-ballad finishes off the album beautifully and I would say deserved a fairer placing at the starting end of the album, than tha tail end.
I'd recommend it for Girls Aloud fans who don't have it, perhaps non fans wouldn't enjoy it as much as their later albums as it doesnt have that cohesive Xenomania sound that the others managed. But an amazing debut, where they tried lots of things out nevertheless