Siobhan Donaghy:
Revolution In Me
A little over a decade ago, the Sugababes' first departure resurfaced with her solo debut. It's an interesting album considering when, how and why it was made.
In a recent interview, Siobhan has suggested that the reason she (and possibly Mutya Buena as well) recorded solo records after leaving the Sugababes was due to not being able to do anything else. The genesis of the group and the recording of One Touch essentially displaced their education. In fact, One Touch was high school for them!
Revolution In Me could then be considered Siobhan's uni/college years. It certainly feels rooted in the growing pains of young adulthood. In many ways this record is the successor to One Touch. It is very tempting and a little unfair to see it this way but in hindsight, the lineage is clear. Cameron McVeigh served as executive producer for both records, providing creative continuity with the first line-up of the Sugababes. What Mutya, Keisha and Siobhan learned about making music, they learned form him. So many songs on Revolution in Me feel reminiscent of the Sugababes. One hears a similarity to Mutya in Siobhan's lower register. One expects Keisha to float in with her heavenly ad-libs and high notes. None of this is to say that Siobhan's voice is in any way inadequate. Here, she demonstrates her ability to carry an album by herself. Later on with Ghosts she took her talents even further. It's merely that the connections to her past are so strong, they cannot be ignored.
The main theme of this album seems to be young adulthood and emerging identities. The navel-gazing of adolescence gives way to a greater perspective. Revolution in Me's first single Overrated is an overcast, guitar-driven song about wanting to come out of depression. Twist of Fate, the second single, is less a break-up song and more an expression of disappointment. Iodine, my favourite song on the album, would have been Siobhan's Christmas single. It's a rootsy earthy song that skirts political themes and evokes animal farming to forment a sense of doom. Man Without Friends continues with the rootsy feel but adds a bit of bounce. As You Like It is quite possibly the most Sugababes-y song on the album: a mid-tempo urban pop song with a dark tone. The vocals combine high and low notes in a similar way to what you'll hear on Overload. Another song which recalls the Sugababes is a B-side, Those Anythings, very relaxed and jazzy track that would fit into the score of any film-noir. XY is a more quirky, left-field song inspired by human genetics. Faces is a more laid-back built around a steel drum melody. Little bits is one of the more stygian songs on Revolution in Me. It describes a sort of descent, into what is left to the interpretation of the listener. I would say it describes a toxic relationship, the kind it's all to easy to slip into when one is young.
The early 2000s were a very odd time and this rather odd album fits in with my recollection of those years. Revolution in Me is eclectic and throbbing with sad restlessness. A worthy follow-up to One Touch, it introduces us to Siobhan as a solo artist in her own right.
The main theme of this album seems to be young adulthood and emerging identities. The navel-gazing of adolescence gives way to a greater perspective. Revolution in Me's first single Overrated is an overcast, guitar-driven song about wanting to come out of depression. Twist of Fate, the second single, is less a break-up song and more an expression of disappointment. Iodine, my favourite song on the album, would have been Siobhan's Christmas single. It's a rootsy earthy song that skirts political themes and evokes animal farming to forment a sense of doom. Man Without Friends continues with the rootsy feel but adds a bit of bounce. As You Like It is quite possibly the most Sugababes-y song on the album: a mid-tempo urban pop song with a dark tone. The vocals combine high and low notes in a similar way to what you'll hear on Overload. Another song which recalls the Sugababes is a B-side, Those Anythings, very relaxed and jazzy track that would fit into the score of any film-noir. XY is a more quirky, left-field song inspired by human genetics. Faces is a more laid-back built around a steel drum melody. Little bits is one of the more stygian songs on Revolution in Me. It describes a sort of descent, into what is left to the interpretation of the listener. I would say it describes a toxic relationship, the kind it's all to easy to slip into when one is young.
The early 2000s were a very odd time and this rather odd album fits in with my recollection of those years. Revolution in Me is eclectic and throbbing with sad restlessness. A worthy follow-up to One Touch, it introduces us to Siobhan as a solo artist in her own right.
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