School Gyrls (Bonus Track Version)

Album Review

School Gyrls are three teenage girls (Mandy Rain, Jacque Nimble, and Mo'Money) who starred on the E! series Party Monsters Cabo and had their own movie that aired on Nickelodeon one month before their self-titled debut was released. Fittingly, their first record sounds like what the average teenage girl might listen to; there are club tracks, Avril Lavigne-style rock & roll, hip-hop jams, sweetly sung ballads, and a silly novelty rap song. Thanks to the girls’ solid vocal ability, their good-natured charm, and the writing and producing teams that executive producer/Svengali Nick Cannon procured for the album, the record works. True, it’s not going to win many points for originality (it jams in every popular trend heard in 2010 from Auto-Tune to retro-rave synths), but you have to admire the high level of quality that went into its conception and production. The sass and goofiness the girls inject into the songs are also nice; they don’t just go through the motions but instead sound like they are having a blast romping through the corny rocker "Detention" or hamming it up on the goofy electro-rap song "Get Like Me." Even though they are a totally manufactured group, they sound like best friends having a good time, and that helps make the album a treat to listen to. Along with all that, there’s the contender for Summer Jam of 2010 "Something Like a Party"; its pumping beats, soaring vocals, and hook that will stick in your head for weeks are sure to be soundtracking the summer at beaches, playgrounds, and malls. Teen girls and lovers of well-done, extremely catchy pop music alike will find plenty to like and admire on School Gyrls.