Released: October 28
Blue return to their noughties best on ‘Heart & Soul’ – the group’s first studio album in seven years.
Coinciding with the band’s belated 20th anniversary celebrations, the LP combines the boy band’s signature pop bangers with smooth R&B moments showcasing their slick harmonies.
Opening with the Antony Costa-penned pop gem Haven’t Found You Yet, the single draws on the sound that took the four-piece to the top of the charts two decades ago, while remaining effortlessly contemporary.
Of the track, the group say: Haven’t Found You Yet takes us full circle to the days in the studio with All Rise when you could feel the excitement of something new being crafted and here we are again with that same vibe.
“We knew as soon as we heard it and played it to Hugh [Goldsmith, Blue’s original A&R guy] that we had the benchmark for the rest of the album”.
Clocking in at 10 songs, Antony, Duncan James, Lee Ryan and Simon Webbe share vocals across the set, which is named after another massive pop moment that’s sure to go off live during the group’s upcoming arena tour.
Along with dance floor gems like Ultraviolet, ‘Heart & Soul’ also features brooding mid tempo moments like This Could Be Love and the jazz-influenced Let’s Get Sad, while the boys slow things down for a selection of ballads that hone in on the connection between their voices.
Pre-release track Magnetic is among the strongest of the slow-burners, while closing number Stop showcases Lee Ryan’s stunning falsetto. It’s a forward-facing tune that looks to the future and urges listeners to, ‘Stop and be children again / Stop and be human again,’ and ends with a poignant declaration that, ‘We’ve got to change’.
Covering a range of styles inherent to the band’s repertoire, ‘Heart & Soul’ sees Blue do what they do best and across 10 tracks they succeed in regrouping for an album that dabbles in nostalgia while continuing to push their sound.
Over two decades since they first arrived on the scene, it’s a declaration that the group still has plenty of music left in them yet – and if what’s on offer here is anything to go by, we can’t wait to see what’s yet to come.
‘Heart and Soul’ is available now.
READ MORE: Blue: ‘We’re four friends just doing what we love – making music and entertaining people!’
