Album: Girls Aloud, Out of Control (Polydor)

I realise that, through either fear or irony, we're all supposed to make out as if we love Girls Aloud – but really, you get what you deserve for exercising such bad faith: the musical equivalent of the lingering aftertaste of synthetic sweeteners.

Frankly, Out of Control seems a singularly inapt title for an album of such meekly conformist pop. There are precious few moments here when the ghost of musical curiosity makes its presence felt; but then, Girls Aloud have been working with the Xenomania team for so long now – four albums, and counting – that they probably never get an inkling of any real alternatives.

And when they do try and branch out, it's always the tiniest of steps: the Pet Shop Boys collaboration "The Loving Kind" – itself virtually a tribute to Xenomania's trademark stomp-beats; the drum'n'bass beats of "Live in the Country"; the fragments of insects and choir that open the latter track and "Love is the Key", respectively – these would never be considered innovative developments by any other group. As for the much-lauded single "The Promise", its flatulent arrangement and empty solo vocal spots sounds arch, ungainly and over-reached. So perhaps the girls are sensible to settle for stomp-a-matic fillers like "Untouchable" and "Love is the Key", the least irritating track here.

Pick of the album:'Love is the Key', 'Turn to Stone'

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