It may have stalled more times than our 1998 Ford KA, but after three years on blocks, Nicole Scherzinger's solo career is finally rolling. Given the singer's tendency to mic-hog during her Pussycat Dolls days, a solo LP has always seemed like an obvious and natural step, but truth be told, the words "GaGa" and "cast-offs" sprung to mind when we heard RedOne was overseeing the project. Nonetheless, has Scherzy managed to carve out her own sound on her debut? The record's trailer singles 'Poison' and number one smash 'Don't Hold Your Breath' indicate a distinctly more pop - dare we say, Euro-dance - sound compared to her previous lacklustre R&B efforts, while the club-ready beats are a fair indication of the remainder of the record.The highlights? Electro-pumper 'Killer Love', 'Only Girl In The World'-esque 'Wet' and 'Club Banger Nation' - a track that wouldn't sound out of place in a Berlin teknoclub. The subject matter ranges from sexual torture on the title track (oo-er!) to standing by your man on the Sting-assisted 'Power's Out', to, well, having a good old-fashioned knees-up.Production-wise, it's an album of two halves. Much like the singles, the uptempos remain as glossy and textured as her perfectly tousled hair, but everything starts to flatline towards the back-end due to a case of too-many-ballads syndrome.Future singles? Of the remaining 11 tracks, we'd say she's got four options: 'Killer Love', 'Right There', 'Wet' and 'Club Banger Nation' - although we'll admit to having a soft spot for 'Desperate' too.Overall Killer Love is a sturdy debut from the part-time X Factor judge that, in part, lives up to her promise of being "in your face and strong". However, at 14 tracks the cohesion is lost the latter half, only made worse by a string of ballads that lack the personality and character oozing from the record's dancier moments. That said, there's enough here to ensure she won't be digging out for her former Dolls' phone numbers any time soon. Credit: Digital Spy
