Review: Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Shoot From The Hip (2003)

Review: Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Shoot From The Hip (2003) by Alan Cumming

I used to like Sophie Ellis-Bextor. She was great with her first band theaudience which unfortunately had minor success which was a shame as they were very good. Moving from her indie roots, Sophie found success laying down vocals on the Ibiza hit Groovejet by Spiller (which was actually an instrumental club hit long before Ms. Ellis-Bextor put her vocals to it. After beating Posh Spice to number one, the catting and media onslaught followed, and the only natural progression (for her now regened career) was to go solo. Her first album Read My Lips was a huge success on the pop market, containing track after track of party floor-fillers and catchy lyrics.

Now, loved by housewives everywhere and single 40+ businessmen who's entire CD collection consists of Gary Barlow, M People and Westlife (to name but a few), so Ms. Ellis-Bextor has found her niche, and softly nuzzled in to the hearts and CD shelves of these 'odd' folk. Shoot From The Hip is her second solo album and to be honest, it's complete and utter pap. Ok, well it's not all that bad, there's certainly a nice change of style going on, the problem is her 'distinct' voice doesn't seem to bode well with the music laid down here. Remaining is her trademark bumpy basslines but in comes a blend of 80's synth pop and cheesy strings. It doesn't really seem to gel together all that well, and although the two standout tracks; the formulaic pop number I Won't Change You and the retro, and again formulaic Mixed Up World will inevitably be chart hits, it's all very...well...dull.

I can't honestly recommend this album to anyone, even her most hardened fans mentioned above will find this disaster of 'hits' to be bland, dull and well, just shit really. Avoid.

FINAL SCORE: 4/10

Dirname: Sophie_Ellis-Bextor-Shoot_From_The_Hip-PROPER_RETAIL-2003-MVP

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Last edited by Mystic Slippers on 10-27-2003 at 11:48 AM

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can't say i've ever liked her. im fairly sure theaudience was standard indie wank i have no interest in, and her pop is just bland and dull. i didn't mind Murder on The Dance Floor, but thats about it. i wouldn't have even bothered listening to this.

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yeah, i just thought it would make a nice change to the usual downtempo and jazz reviews i normally write.

theaudience were actually a pretty decent band, just a shame they never really took off in the mainstream.

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i only ever heard one or 2 tracks by theaudience, and i quite liked 'em. pity she's a freaky looking bird and her music's shite now. i can kinda put up with shite music if they're good wanking material, but she's like a grey or something.

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LOL "grey".

Yeah theaudience were really good. I think they got dropped due to poor sales. But then they never had a decent marketing scheme behind them anyway, which was a shame as their album was really good. And back then she looked fucking fit. Now she looks like the yellow egg thing of a Kinder Egg that's been sat on by a fat kid called Graham who's mum makes him a packed lunch of hi-sugar cola, dairylea lunchables and a kinder egg every day because she works late nights at the local pub on the council estate where they live and makes him where plimsoles to school because she spends all her money on herself and going out rather than her kid.

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unfortunately, im from the states, so i didnt get to experience her indie items, but i spent a few months in italy and got to hear murder on the dance floor, and while the song itself wasnt that hot, she was...
i've looked into a few other songs, but nothing really grabbed me...

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Originally posted by Dwaggy
Thats alot of words for someone that sells DVDs out of the back of a truck

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hot? do you wank over the aliens in independence day?

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dude watch the video again, she's no alien...
definitely a nice change of pace from the blonde clones circulating america right now...

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quote:

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Originally posted by Dwaggy
Thats alot of words for someone that sells DVDs out of the back of a truck

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