MUSIC REVIEW: The Wanted – Word of Mouth

The Wanted
Word of Mouth
Mercury Records

By: Nevra Azerkan
Rating:

It took a long time, but finally the sophomore album (at least for the US) from The Wanted has arrived. The title, Word of Mouth fits the group perfectly since their popularity has grown through people telling their friends and family about them. This grass roots approach has earned them fans that stayed up all night to download the album the moment it was released digitally as well as fans who staged buy outs across the world. This dedication is in hopes of getting The Wanted to be the number one boy band in the world, but will Word of Mouth get them there?

There were many rumors swirling around about collaborations. Names like LMFAO, Rita Ora, Pitbull were mentioned, but in the end the guys scrapped those tracks and kept it simple. The group co-wrote most of the songs on the album giving it a very personal feel that becomes apparent when you listen to the album in its entirety.

“Summer Alive”, “Glow In The Dark”, “Demons”, and “Heartbreak Story” are some of the tracks that stood out for me. I was happy to finally have “I Found You” on an album, but I have to say I don’t understand why “Glad You Came” or “Chasing the Sun” needed to be included yet again. Granted, both tracks are mega hits, but it seemed unnecessary especially when there could have been new amazing tracks in their place.

Then there was the abundance of songs that leaned towards being ballads. Don’t get me wrong, I love these guys, but I was hoping for more dance hits on this album. However, I get that they are trying to showcase a more serious side as well as the extent of their vocal abilities; things that can’t always be shown on upbeat dance tracks. Maybe it was also a personal preference for the guys, but for a boy band that prides itself on their ability to party like no one else, I expected more tracks like “Glad You Came”.

Overall, there was clearly a lot of effort put into the album. For die-hard fans of The Wanted, they will love this. For new listeners, it will grow on you. Word of Mouth may not bump the band to number one boy band status, but it will continue to spread the word about a group of 5 talented guys who have rightfully earned their dedicated fans. Their sense of humor probably helps too. If you want a taste of that look no further than the thank you section of the CD booklet.

It’s also good to note that there are a few different editions of the album, so research that before purchasing. I found the regular edition, the deluxe edition and also the Target deluxe edition which seemed to be the one with the most tracks (18 in total). The full track listing for the Target deluxe edition includes (in order): “We Own The Night”, “In The Middle”, “Running Out of Reasons”, “I Found You”, “Show Me Love (America)”, “Walks Like Rihanna”, “Summer Live”, “Glad You Came”, “Glow In The Dark”, “Demons, “Could This Be Love”, “Everybody Knows”, “Love Sewn”, “If We’re Alright”, “Drunk On Love”, “Heartbreak Story”, “Ready My Mind”, and “Only You”.