Chaotic Dusk

Rachel Stevens – Come And Get It

October 17, 2010 at 9:09 pm | Posted in Rachel Stevens | Leave a comment
Tags: Electro, Electronic, Music, Pop, Rachel Stevens, Review

1. So Good
2. I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)
3. Crazy Boys
4. I Will Be There
5. Negotiate With Love
6. All About Me
7. Secret Garden
8. Nothing Good About This Goodbye
9. Some Girls
10. Je M’Appelle
11. Funny How
12. Every Little Thing
13. Dumb Dumb

The ever so beautiful Rachel Stevens dabs into electropop for her sophomore album, Come And Get It. Tragically, the album was a commercial flop and caused her career to be put on hold. The fact that it flopped is perplexing because Come And Get It received positive reviews and was put on The Guardian’s “1000 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die” two years after its release. Despite being a flop, Come And Get It is one of the best electropop albums ever and to this day still stands at the top.

The album opens with So Good, which lives up to its title in every way possible. It’s a delicious electronic dance track with a dash of techno. The title of the album comes from this track “’cause it’s you you you/all you/come and get it” and it gives a little taste of what you can expect from the rest of the album, infectious tunes that will haunt you for hours after listening to them. The chorus is an explosion of addicting synths and yummy vocals by Rachel with lyrics that can be interpreted as relating to her career, “I made it on my own again,” and “I’m gonna stand the test of time.” Those damn “oohs” in the chorus are too much for me to handle, they’re hauntingly delicious. This song is incredible and a great way to start things off, , “I know I’m gonna feel/so good and so good and so good.” I Said Never Again (But Here We Are) is a merciless and loud in-your-face anthem. Rachel sings with spunk and her vocals are on-point. This track is all about guitars, synths and aggressive belting by Rachel. She sounds delightfully playful during the verses, “now it’s two weeks later/I feel such a traitor/oh I let you in my back door.” For the chorus she becomes much more aggressive, “you’re the one who’s creeping/rough love’s so deceiving,” and it’s insanely addicting. I guarantee you’ll walk away from this song humming it. The second verse contains the sound of glass breaking and distorted vocals which come in at the perfect moment. Rachel sings with some effects on her voice in the bridge before jumping right back into the chorus. I totally love the last line, “I told you never to play my new guitar,” which is backed up by a fantastic guitar riff.

Crazy Boys is absolutely one of the most brilliant electropop tracks I have ever heard. There’s a very strange and hollow quality to this track but that’s what makes it so phenomenal. The production is sick, 100% pure synth, and that synth line during the second half of the verses is magic. Rachel’s “oohs” throughout this song are heavenly, layered deliciously with the synths and they have a mesmerizing quality to them. She teases in the verses, “come over here/I wanna feel/I wanna play,” and then begs in the pre-chorus “baby baby here I pray/deliver me from you.” Rachel’s vocals in the chorus are haunting and cool, “for you I’d wait forever/nobody does it better” and “this new love I’ve discovered/from kisses like no other.” It’s simply irresistible and her whispering of “crazy boys” is sexy as hell and her “forever and ever” backing vocals close the track off perfectly. I can’t imagine anyone not loving this track, it’s that amazing. Rachel leaves me speechless every single time I listen to I Will Be There. It’s a ballad but not just any ballad, it’s an electronic masterpiece. This song puts Heaven Has To Wait, from her debut album Funky Dory, to shame. It’s an angelic lullaby with vocals that are luscious and delectably soothing. The verses are very simple with drums and light synths and Rachel’s soft vocals, “I wanna be more than your friend.” The chorus is breathtaking and awe-inspiring. It’s irresistibly melodic as the electronic elements take over. Rachel chants “is it okay if I meet you in heaven/is it alright if I’m with you forever,” so beautifully. If you had any doubts about Rachel’s singing ability this song erases those doubts. The song is repetitive but that’s where its brilliance lies. It doesn’t try to be anything that it’s not. It’s a simple yet effective ballad that keeps you coming back for more.

Negotiate With Love jumps right back into upbeat electropop territory. It starts off with synth beats and Rachel’s cool vocals, “now the next thing I know you’re playing me,” and the music crescendos halfway through the verses. The guitar in the chorus is interesting, there’s something about it that makes it sound amazing, and the fast-paced section of the chorus is catchy, “what is it you don’t understand/respect is all that I demand/you took my heart you held my hand/so listen up and understand.” Rachel sings the title of the song in a fantastic high tone that drills into your head. You also get to hear her lovely accent before the start of the second verse. Things slow down a bit during the bridge for Rachel to show off some high vocals before moving right back into the infectious chorus. All About Me is a dark mid-tempo that samples Lullaby by The Cure. It’s a somber electronic track with Rachel performing in deep and satisfying vocals. The guitar is dreadfully melancholic along with her vocals which are drenched in grief, “don’t know why he didn’t call.” During the pre-chorus she sings in such deep vocals and her “ohs” are spine chilling. She takes on a 3^rd person approach for the verses while in the chorus and the bridge she uses the 1^st person. The guitar and synths come together wonderfully for the chorus and the lyrics, “you said it’s all about me/but tell me what’s the truth/I’m happy to be free/but I’m happier just to be with you,” are fantastic.

“Let’s run and hide” Rachel coos in the euphoric and magnificent Secret Garden. This song is phenomenal, it’s the most atmospheric song on the album and Rachel performs it entirely in refreshingly high vocals. It’s filled with beautiful and breathy backing vocals that are layered flawlessly and the synths produce a utopian atmosphere. The verses are spectacular, delicious synths and vocals, and I love how Rachel emphasizes almost every word, “one single hole in the ice/we dived in with/one little glimpse, paradise.” The pre-chorus is quite dark and her vocals are extremely sexy as they take on a slightly deeper tone. For the chorus she resumes singing in a high tone and the synths become even more atmospheric, there’s even a shrieking-like sound in the background. Rachel sings the final part of the chorus, “find our own paradise/a secret garden,” in very natural vocals. What I love about the final part of the chorus is that in the last few choruses it’s sung differently. Rachel sounds so heavenly in this track and I fell in love with it the moment I heard it. Nothing Good About This Goodbye is the most mellow track on the album and begins with a guitar and some backing vocals. When the synth elements come in Rachel’s droning voice accompanies it. There’s a detached feel to Rachel’s vocals in the verses, “‘cause I’ve seen how it aches when you’ve missed your chance,” that goes well with the somber sound of the arrangement. As the song goes on the synths become livelier and her vocals become drenched in emotion, “sit right here and watch the sky above for a sign/tell me will you miss me when I’m in your history.” The back and forth of Rachel’s tone in the song is marvelous and makes this song all the more enjoyable. The music fades away for the bridge which is a repetition of the pre-chorus and an edgy guitar is added to the arrangement. The song takes awhile to really open up but once it does it draws you in.

If you haven’t heard Some Girls do yourself a favour and listen to it right now. This song is pure electropop bliss with a dash of Goldfrapp. The track did very well in the UK which makes me question how the album ended up doing so poorly because the whole album is filled with songs that are just as amazing. The song explores the darker side of the music industry and it’s about a pop singer giving fellatio in order to be a star. I never even interpreted the song to be about this when I heard it but it makes me love it so much more. This song has the same hollowness that Crazy Boys has which makes sense as they’re produced by the same genius, Richard X. The synths are thumping, electrifying and downright orgasmic. Rachel sings sexily during the verses, “I go and shake my hair out loose/I never take my eyes off you,” with just the right amount of detachment to lure you into the track. When the chorus starts you’ll never be able to forget it. The hook is insanely catchy, it’s one of the most addicting hooks I’ve ever heard, “Some girls always get what they wanna wanna/all I seem to get is the other other/this won’t last for long, not forever/and the champagne makes it taste so much better better.” The repetition of the final word in each line is made irresistible by Rachel’s delicious vocals. During the bridge Rachel protests, “hey, stop/you made a promise to make me a star/you made a promise I’d get to the top,” with “ba-bums” that sound like they’re straight out of the Wizard of Oz. The bridge and the chorus are layered together for the song’s finale which sound incredibly dark and when the synths fade away and Rachel’s left singing “dreams of number one last forever/it’s the only way to make you feel better” you’re left with a sudden pang of sadness. Je M’Appelle is a dark and sultry mid-tempo, with some traces of R&B, about a French prostitute. The song starts off eerily and Rachel sings “don’t be late/‘cause I can’t wait,” in a luring voice. The verses are full of temptation and Rachel’s somber vocals are enticing especially when she sings, “I’ll make you over/you’ll be new angel/oh let me hear you say my name.” The lyrics to this song are incredibly sexual and dark, it’s not hard to figure out what she’s trying to imply with “fire away.” The synths become more aggressive in the chorus and Rachel’s vocals become menacing and dirty, “come on in from the rain/come I’ll warm you again/je m’appelle Rachel.” The feel of this song is amazing and it’s dark and twisted nature makes it an instant favourite.

Funny How lightens the mood of the album up with its bubbly nature and its disco vibe. It’s upbeat and has an infectious hook, “funny how I always know before it’s over/deep down it’s time to go,” that will have you bouncing along with it in no time. The synths are edgy, bumping along with the guitar and Rachel’s vocals are light and smooth. The pre-chorus is sung in airy vocals, “I’m getting high on emotion/one little kiss I’m away/I wanna give you devotion/so don’t walk away,” and transitions into the chorus nicely. The synths, especially in the chorus, sound disco influenced giving the song a dance vibe you can’t ignore. This is such a nice contrast to the previous dark tracks and it’s refreshing to have a feel-good track after them. Every Little Thing is in the similar vein to the previous song, it’s upbeat, catchy, and 100% pure enjoyable pop. The track begins with thumping beats and futuristic synths accompanied by Rachel’s fun vocals. The chorus is playful and totally danceable, “I want every little thing that you don’t/you’re standing in a different corner/you’re trying to get the best of me,” with fantastic backing vocals. There’s a hot electric guitar in the bridge and Rachel’s “ohs” before the chorus are energetic. The layering of the backing vocals in the chorus are phenomenal, it all comes together in a blast of upbeat goodness. This song is a whole lot of fun and you’ll find yourself singing along with it. I love how it ends with a delicious “mhmm” from Rachel. Rachel opened the album with an incredible song and she ends it with Dumb Dumb which is an even better song. With a title like that you know the song is going to be amazing. Rachel saves one of the best songs for last and it employs the 3^rd person narrative describing a girl who “lives her life in plastic.” The arrangement of the song is fantastic, synths with a touch of mystery and aggression rolled into them. Rachel’s vocals have a dreamy quality to them in the verses and at the same time have depressing undertones in them, “you see she’s sacrificed her image for her beauty/but looking deeper you can see that she’s unhappy/you can kiss her you can wake her from her sadness/her life is living under her skin.” The chorus is phenomenal, Rachel’s vocals are emotional, despairing and she sounds incredibly convincing, “and all she wants is love/and all she wants is dumb-da-da-dumb/searching for a touch/that’s more than just a dumb-da-da-dumb.” When the guitar kicks up in the final chorus it mixes with the electronic elements and the song becomes totally epic. The song ends with the hauntingly repetitive line “you could give her love love love.”

Conclusion: This is one of the most underrated and overlooked electropop albums. I’m serious when I say that every song on this album could have been a single. They’re that amazing. It’s rare to find a mainstream pop singer to have an album without any filler but Come And Get It is a collection of high quality tracks. The album is cohesive and flows perfectly from song to song. Rachel wasn’t joking when she said she was going to stand the test of time because the album hasn’t aged at all. It fits perfectly into today’s music scene and is even better than the albums that are coming out today. She was ahead of her time and crafted one of the most memorable albums of the decade. Do not pass over this album! If you love electropop or pop in general you will find something to love about this album. North American pop singers can’t even touch this album and she puts them all to shame. I urge you to get rid of any preconceptions you have of Rachel and take a listen to the album because “nobody does it better.”

Recommended Tracks: Secret Garden, Crazy Boys, Dumb Dumb, Some Girls, I Will Be There, Je M’Appelle, I Said Never Again (But Here We Are), So Good and All About Me

Rating