Album Review: Cher Lloyd – “Sticks + Stones”

If cartoon characters could make albums, they would sound exactly like “Sticks + Stones”. For, this album showcases a gimmicky and animated cartoon-like persona of Cher, as aptly illustrated on the album sleeve. Add to this some high energy sing-along melodies, multiple “swag” references and inundated impersonations of her idol Nicki Minaj and you would have the complete picture, without even having to listen.

This is no more evident than on the Busta Rhymes-assisted “Grow Up” where everything, from the multiple personas adopted to the aggressive yet animated delivery, has Minaj written all over it. Still, you can’t blame a girl for trying, and although on paper it shouldn’t work, it comes off as an easy-on-the-ears melodic pop number, with Busta Rhymes giving it a slight urban touch. However, the irony is too blatant to ignore, given that after screaming to us all summer about people that don’t have their own “swag”, courtesy of what is probably the most unloved number 1 of recent times – “Swagger Jagger”, one would expect less impersonating and more originality from the teen popstar.

Lily Allen is also channelled on pop numbers “Over The Moon” and “Superhero”. The former initiates with Christmas-like bells, before exploding into a noisy dubstep-pop driven beat and boasting yet another “swag” reference. Again, despite all the noise and fireworks throughout, it’s unlikely that the melodic hook won’t have you happily whistling along come the tracks final chorus. The latter, “Superhero”, is one of the albums higher points – a soft and enjoyable pop song.

Other softer and more vulnerable glimpses of Cher are noticeable via album balladry “Beautiful People” and “End Up Here”. The former features a relatively unknown (to the UK) Swedish rock band, “Carolina Liar”, and although it’s nice to hear a different side to Cher, when hearing the track for the first time it’s easy to question whether you’re listening to an entirely different album altogether. For, it’s more mature lyrical content feels somewhat out of place with the fun and, up until this point, light-hearted nature of the album.

However, this can be attributed to the fact that it’s only one of two album tracks that was not co-written by Cher, but in this case Carolina Liar lead vocalist Chad Wolf. “End Up Here”, on the other hand, demonstrates exactly the type of affair you would expect from a Cher-ballad – catchy melodies and playful lyrics sung over a gentle arm-swaying evoking production.

Other playful pop numbers come in the form of “Want U Back”, which sees Cher angrily grunting about the fact that her onetime lover has moved on. Also “Playa Boi”, which gives a modern take on Neneh Cherry’s “Buffalo Stance” and hears the teen bopper crooning along over an inviting RedOne production. However, both are pertinent examples of where “catchy, yet annoying” is applicable.

Still, every cloud has its silver lining, and that lining is no more prominent than on album highlights “With Ur Love” and “Dub On The Track”. The former, which is the LP’s second single, features US newcomer Mike Posner and is a light and breezy summery affair, which sees Cher finally ditch the rap and instead concentrate solely on singing – a decision of which only adds to the songs likeability.

“Dub On The Track” features an ensemble of several underground UK rappers, which embarrassingly outshine an abnormally reserved and rap-free Cher. If there was one track on the album that we could forgive her for thrusting upon us those unconvincing MC skills it would be this one, as the dubstep-lite track is close to what you would have expected from her on the basis of her appearance on last year’s X Factor. Instead, however, she again opts to push her singing vocals to the forefront and leave the rapping to the professionals – Mic Righteous, Dot Rotten and Ghetts.

To conclude, the album definitely has its strong points, but after clocking in at just over 30 minutes, you learn absolutely nothing of who Cher Lloyd really is, but instead who she aspires to be. The hip-hop loving and self-professed “swag queen”, who promisingly walked onto the X Factor stage last year to rave reviews of her take on Soulja Boy’s “Turn My Swag On”, is nowhere to be found on the LP. In her place, we’re subjected to the love-child of Nicki Minaj and Lily Allen after one too many E numbers. For, the album almost sounds like the product of a hyper school child that was let loose in a recording studio for a few weeks, rather than one you would expect from a recently turned 18-year old.

Nevertheless, the album packs enough punches and provides plenty of catchy and melodic hooks that will have you humming along on the way to work over the next month or so. The question that arises, however, is whether you will still remember what they sound like in 2 years time? The answer of which is, probably not.

Songs to stick on repeat: “With Ur Love”, “Dub On The Track” and “Superhero”

Songs to skip: “Beautiful People” and “Swagger Jagger”

Overall Rating: 6/10