The Saturdays: 'Chasing Lights'

Brought to us by Fascination Records, the home of Girls Aloud, The Saturdays are rapidly becoming part of the chart furniture. This glossy five-piece, featuring two former members of S Club Juniors and one X Factor Boot Camp survivor, have cracked the top ten twice in the last three months. Their Yazoo-sampling debut single, 'If This Is Love', reached #8 in August, while the altogether more satisfying 'Up' went three places better this Sunday.

Chasing Lights, their impressive debut album, should maintain the upward momentum. Those seduced by the singles will find plenty to enjoy here, especially 'Lies' and 'Work', which repeat the trick of welding memorable choruses to sparky electropop. There's plenty of feisty attitude too, with lyrics that slam two-timing boys, kick dithering boys up the arse and tell sexy boys exactly how they make them feel. "I'm about to blow my top," the girls sing on the lusty 'Set Me Off' - and they sound like they mean it.

Predictably, the ballads aren't quite as much fun, but they never slip into the sappiness that mars lesser pop albums. The R&B-tinged 'Issues' sounds pretty sweet until the killer line comes - "I don't know if I should slap you or kiss you" - and there's little doubt who's in charge on the break-up songs. The girls are calm and collected on 'Chasing Lights', telling a controlling boyfriend to "go on, bye bye", and there's even a hint of spitefulness on the similarly-themed 'Fall'.

Will they still be around in three albums' time? It's too soon to say - and for now it doesn't really matter. The Saturdays have carved out an enviable niche for themselves with this consistently enjoyable debut album. Their sassy, modern, chart-ready pop is more straightforward than most Girls Aloud singles and younger than the music Sugababes are now recording. The world, or at least the top ten, should be their oyster.


> Click here to read our recent interview with The Saturdays