Westlife

Amidst the denizens of fabricated boy bands, Westlife's debut comes as an unexpected gem. With a strong management team behind them--courtesy of Boyzone's own Ronan Keating--Westlife became the first Irish boy band to top the charts with their first three singles. "Swear it Again", the album's opener, is reminiscent of 1970s American balladeers Chicago, but their weak cover of Abba's "I Have A Dream" is a welcome omission. Instead, we're treated to a fantastic reworking of funk metal outfit Extreme's "More Than Words"; singer Bryan's plaintive vocal make it a superb choice. With producers Steve Mac and Pete Waterman in charge, as well as perfect string arrangements and surprisingly thoughtful lyrics, Westlife puts these boys in place to inherit Boyzone's pop crown.