Living Life, Kingsize

Five guys to watch out for.

Boyzone, the Backstreet Boys, Boyzone and now Five. Is there really enough space on the planet for all these boy bands?

Going by the numbers, if there ever is a space crunch, Five will be the last ones asked to leave - their music is so much funkier, so much cooler and has so much more attitude than either Westlife or Boyzone that it's not surprising "Kingsize", their latest album, is doing so well. It starts out with a great version of "Let's Dance", and moves quickly into dance mode with "Lay All Your Lovin' On Me" and "Rock The Party", two beat-heavy numbers designed to keep your booty shaking.

There are the obligatory ballads - "Feel The Love" was just about acceptable, while "Closer To Me" was mushy enough to give me toothache - but the overall tone of this album is fast rather than slow, funk rather than fuss. It's laden with attitude, topped with some great mixing and is absolutely perfect for your next pizza-and-beer party.

This article was first published on16 Nov 2001.