TLC are back; the US R&B superstar girl group releasing their first studio album in 15 years. But what will David think of the LP in his latest review?
There’s nothing like a bit of nostalgia to awaken the senses, especially when a super group like TLC are involved.
Two years after their amazingly successful Kickstarter campaign to release a new (and seemingly final) album (on which the likes of Katy Perry and Justin Timberlake contributed), we are now graced with their new self-titled album.
So for an independent, crowd-funded album, how does ‘TLC’ fare?
Well the first thing that knocks me over is the high quality of the tunes.
Sometimes with independent releases songs can feel unpolished, but here we are treated to songs I’d expect to hear from some of the top artists around. And to be honest, I would expect nothing less.
T-Boz and Chilli have opted to collaborate with those that inspire them. Snoop Dogg makes an appearance on lead single ‘Way Back’ and celebrated producer Ron Fair also works on fun and radio friendly track ‘It’s Sunny’.
‘Haters’ is a shout out to those who have ever doubted the girls over the years (and I’m sure there have been many). It’s a great track that bounces along and feels really empowering. It’s hard not to think about some of the flack the girls received for some of their previous work, but I think they address it through their music.
‘Perfect Girls’ is almost an extension of previous TLC hit ‘Unpretty’ with its uplifting message and confrontation of media image expectations. It’s not a copy of that track, mind you, but it feels like a modern take on body image. It’s another empowering track and you can kind of feel two themes coming through: nostalgia and empowerment. What a coincidence.
The first half of this album is full of energy and is an amazing revisit to what made TLC so popular.
Of course it’s not quite the same without Left Eye, but the nostalgia is strong and makes this a cracking album to add to your playlist or music collection.
They’ve been down here with some of the retro tours, but I’m sure we will see them again here in Australia.
VERDICT : 4/5.
MUST LISTEN : Haters, Perfect Girls, American Gold.
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