The Cover Girls - We Can't Go Wrong (CD)

All Music Guide

This manufactured group of rotating vocalists had success with this album due to the strong singles "We Can't Go Wrong," "All That Glitters Isn't Gold," and "My Heart Skips a Beat." The rest of the album is by-the-numbers filler, however; not that it's not enjoyable, it's just not very interesting. In some ways, the trio sounded dated even when their singles were first being released, and, where Paula Abdul embodies '80s music even in the 21st century, the Cover Girls were parodies at the time -- even the cover of this album looked bargain bin when it was first released. The marketing, the production, and the writing ("I don't know what to do/I'm so in love with you") weren't up to the fight for more prominence for the Cover Girls, which is unfortunate, because when Louise "Angel" Sabater, Margo Urban, and Caroline Jackson Calister are allowed to shine, they're good. There's a simple quality to their voices that gives "We Can't Go Wrong" a particularly plaintive tone, and the mindful "...All That Glitters Isn't Gold" is undeniable. Those two cuts are strong enough to make the album somewhat worthwhile, but much of the rest of the material is weak despite some unquestionably catchy hooks (notably "Once Upon a Time" and "Cute," which, despite being too precious, isn't as bad as you'd expect from the title). The positive aspects are that the group was part of the freestyle movement of the late '80s and, despite the adolescent lyrics of cuts like "Nothing Could Be Better" or "That Boy of Mine," the Cover Girls sound like a '60s girl group, and girl groups throughout the decades have never been much about maturity (think the Shangri-Las or the Crystals) -- they've been about boys, love, and fun. So though their pop careers waned after this album, the girls are in good company. - Bryan Buss, All Music Guide Read more Less