Arguably the epitome of the bubblegum-pop days of the mid-to-late noughties sound is the fun, happy-go-lucky English pop-rock band Scouting for Girls. Remarkably, their self-titled debut is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. To celebrate, the trio has come out with a new release consisting ten of their best hits from their past four studio albums, along with ten tracks of brand new material.

The first half of the album is wave after wave of nostalgic hit tracks such as ‘She’s So Lovely’ and ‘Elvis Ain’t Dead’; songs that you can’t help but sing along with and long to be taken back to the simpler and happier times of 2007. The first ten songs are wonderful, serving as examples of near perfect pop songs. If they weren’t, it would certainly defeat the premise of greatest hits in the first place. However, what irks this writer about the former half of the album is that it’s repetitious. Scouting for Girls released a greatest hits album in 2013. To release a greatest hits compilation only six years after a debut album would be slightly premature, but a second greatest hits album just four years later is overkill, calling into question how Scouting for Girls view their own work. If you listen closely, you may even hear the distant sounds of a cash cow being milked.

The track ‘Butterflies’ signals a transition from the hits to their newer material. It doesn’t stray far from their classic lighthearted rhetoric. This is a common theme throughout the album. Their sound hasn’t gone through drastic changes throughout their career, leaving these new tracks to feel slightly stale. However, their new songs certainly show some signs of growth such as a broadening of their instrumentation, presenting an all-around tighter sound. ‘Dancing in the Daylight’ is their radio-friendly single. It’s a bouncy, undeniably cheesy track, a reassurance  that Scouting for Girls still strives to create feel-good tracks that have gained their success in the past.

Although this album may have its flaws, it’s the perfect way for new listeners to explore what the band has to offer. It also gives past and present fans a convenient listening package that eases them into the territory of new material with hits that may indeed reignite their mainstream popularity.

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