MY CD REVIEW

Track Listings

1. You Raise Me Up

2. When You Tell Me That You Love Me - Westlife & Diana Ross

3. Amazing

4. That's Where You Find Love

5. She's Back

6. Desperado

7. Colour My World

8. In This Life

9. Heart Without A Home

10. Hit You With The Real Thing

11. Change Your Mind

12. Maybe Tomorrow

CD Review

With 35 Million records sold worldwide, 7 Million in the UK alone, 12 UK Number 1¡¯s--Westlife are back with their smash single "You Raise Me Up" and the follow-up second single with the legendary Diana Ross. Relaxed, refreshed and bursting with energy, Westlife, the quiet superstars of the mainstream UK music scene, bounce back with their new album Face To Face. It¡¯s a world that they have dominated for seven years and the album features all the hallmarks of that reign--a collection of classic songs and future standards. In brief, Face To Face finds Westlife doing what they¡¯ve always done best. After a brief interlude with their Rat Pack album of classic song sung in the style of Sinatra, Face To Face is Westlife¡¯s first collection of new songs since Turnaround topped the charts in 2003. "It¡¯s got the best material we¡¯ve ever released", says Shane confidently. Agrees Nicky: "At the time Turnaround seemed like one of our best albums and this one feels even better". Song writing and production duties are equally divided between long-term collaborator Steve Mac and Swedish hit-makers The Location, returning to the Westlife fold after working on their first two albums (and for Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC among many others), with recording done in Ireland, Sweden and London over the long hot summer. Passion is very much the key to the opening single "You Raise Me Up", Shane singing the hymn-like refrain over a simple piano melody before Mark¡¯s soaring vocal ushers in Kian and Nicky¡¯s blissful harmonies. A slow builder, the song swells into a full-blown gospel epic complete with strings, celestial choirs and something entirely new for Westlife--bagpipes! "I really enjoyed singing it. I hope people find it inspiring", says Mark. "It¡¯s an incredible song", adds Nicky. "I can see it becoming a favourite at weddings and funerals, like our first hit Swear It Again".

A new start and a new chapter¡­ but the Westlife story is far from over.