ALL SAINTS - Studio 1 Review

On hearing All Saints' luscious comeback single Rocksteady, Cheryl Tweedy of Girls Aloud sniped that it was influenced by the Girls (whose own sound, she failed to add, owed much to the Saints). Saint Mel Blatt's dry retort - "We could only aspire to be like Girls Aloud" - proved that the reunited 1990s foursome are taking up where they left off six years ago. Studio 1 offers a fresh take on their girl-group style. Always R&B-inclined, their harmonies are now judiciously seasoned with reggae and ska....full text As far as shock reunions go, the reformation of All Saints is probably up there with Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler getting back together. Yet six years after acrimoniously splitting (allegedly over who wore a particular jacket on a TV appearance), the Appleton sisters have indeed kissed and made up with Shaznay Lewis and Mel Blatt....full text Various theories abound about why All Saints have reunited after six years: they missed each other, they wanted to make their children proud (heaven forefend we should forget they are now mothers), there was a musical chemistry they simply couldn't ignore, blah blah blah. Here's a more plausible one: gifted, Ivor Novello-winning songwriter Shaznay Lewis realised, during a long, dark night of the soul in the wake of her dismal solo career, that in order to keep on doing what she loved, she needed the others....full text