Album review: Reflection – Fifth Harmony

Fifth Harmony debut with a killer batch of pop songs.

Reflection is Fifth Harmony's debut album. Courtesy Sony Music

Reflection

Fifth Harmony

(Epic)

Four stars

The history of talent shows proves that it is sometimes better not to win. Such is the case with Fifth Harmony.

The American girl-group came third in the 2012 season of the US version of The X Factor and since then have steadily built a profile by releasing an EP and touring. With the release of their killer debut album Reflection, they finally have a bunch of sparkling songs to match their stage credentials.

While the glittering and sometimes-edgy production is what you’d expect when you hire a A-list beatmakers (Dr Luke and J R Rotem to name a few), nearly all the songs are instantly hummable, with the five vocalists sounding effortlessly cohesive.

There is a welcome nostalgia to Reflection, as the girls subtly and sometimes overtly channel their heroes. Like Mariah samples Mariah Carey's Always Be My Baby, while the vibrant Them Girls Be Like recalls Monica's biggest hit The Boy Is Mine. The best throwback, however, is in the album highlight Top Down. That irresistible, funky keyboard groove harks back to For the Love of Money by The O'Jays. The girls here may bring the attitude, but they never forget to have fun.