With their initial appearance having been greeted by more than a few drawn daggers, the prospect of Liberty X ever making a second album might have seemed remote. ‘Just A Little Bit More’, however, upped the ante for the five-piece considerably, to the extent that the release of Being Somebody has been keenly anticipated in many quarters.
They’ve certainly managed to transcend those well publicised roots and manouvered themselves into a position where they can now be judged entirely on their own merits. So what’s the verdict?
Being Somebody certainly won’t do their cause any harm. With the now standard production teams behind them, the band have settled into a slick, US style R&B groove. When it works, as with the sparky ‘Jumpin’, the results are eminently perky. Often, though, the studio polish is a little too slick, draining the songs of human warmth – a reflection of the band’s icy cool image.
They’re far better when they mess with the formula: the Human League sample on ‘Being Nobody’, the upbeat ‘Let Go’ and the acoustic lilt of ‘Forever’ all work a treat. With each of the five members getting further into writing and production duties, the signs are that they are in it for the long haul. Good on them.
There is a sense that Liberty X are a potentially great band in search of a few more great songs. Next time they may just deliver an album that has that X factor throughout.