The sophomore full-length album from
Little Mix
, 2013's
Salute
, showcases the British all-girl group's bright, high-energy pop music. The album follows up the former X Factor champions' 2012 debut,
DNA
. Once again, this album features the vocal talents of
members
Perrie Edwards
,
Jesy Nelson
Leigh-Anne Pinnock
, and
Jade Thirlwall
. Surrounded by a sea of similarly inclined girl group acts like
Fifth Harmony
and
the Saturdays
do a nice job of standing out from the crowd here. This is not so much due to any reinvention of the pop wheel (although they do sound a lot more Americanized than their British contemporaries); what separates them is great songwriting and production, and on that score
is a big win for
. This time around,
worked with a handful of big-name producers including
Future Cut
(
Lily Allen
Shakira
),
MNEK
Rudimental
Misha B
TMS
Emeli Sande
Olly Murs
), and
Jimmy Jam
&
Terry Lewis
Janet Jackson
Mariah Carey
). The result is that they have a heavier, more R&B and hip-hop-influenced sound on
than they did on
. In that sense,
are more in line with acts like
Rihanna
Miley Cyrus
Beyonce
. Twenty years on from the days when
En Vogue
TLC
reigned as R&B divas, their distinctive '90s production sound is back in vogue and
are clearly enamored with it. Cuts like "About the Boy," "Mr. Loverboy," and "Move" have a strong '90s club aesthetic that smartly bridges the gap between vintage house music and contemporary electronic dance music of the 2000s. Ultimately, while
retains all of
's infectious, teen-friendly ingredients, it reveals a new recipe for fans whose palates have matured right along with the band. [A Deluxe Edition added four bonus tracks.] ~ Matt Collar