Much maligned by the press and the industry alike, last year's X Factor fourth placed finalist Cher Lloyd drops her debut full length to a real mixed bag of public feeling as to her credentials and credibility as an artist. Sticks & Stones won't do much to alleviate the detractors, but what it will does is endear her even more to her fan base.
What this record does, it does well; it goes straight for the jugular and hooks you in, and although the raps are at times lyrically juvenile, you cannot deny that there are some massive pop moments here.
The opening Grow Up is as equally ridiculous as it is brilliant, and the lyrical wordplay varies from cringeworthy to utter hilarity, straight back round to complete pop genius.There is also a rather mental Busta Rhymes segment. To reference Mr Bean, Cup of Tea and "When I say explode, I don't mean that we using bombs" is pretty outrageous.
The following Want You Back is a huge tune, and will have you singing it for days, rocking some infectious beats and anthemic "Urgh" shouts from Ms Lloyd. I also have mad love for the crazy "helicopter referencing outro". To follow, the one-two punch of the singles Swagger Jagger and With Ur Love appear, and leave you wondering just what the press has such beef about when it comes to this record.
Stick & Stones got bad reviews pretty much across the board, but it's pitched perfectly at the audience, and if you switch off your critical brain for a moment, it is actually fairly enjoyable to listen to. It has all the right beats in the right places, and huge melodic tendencies.
It does veer off as it goes on, and is only ten tracks in length, but on the whole, its a pretty solid teen pop album. You can't deny that. Beautiful People (with Carolina Liar) showcases a more reflective vocal style, and Playa Boi has a massive hook and retro 80's vibe to it. Dub On The Track is a fairly poor attempt at cross selling, copying a straight up Katy B style, but when she sticks to what she should be doing, this album really does work.
Much better than I ever could have expected it to be.
7/10
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