The Aces Infuse Disco and Pop in New Record (Album Review)

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The Aces released their latest album on 15th August, titled ‘Gold Star Baby‘. The Utah-based group has been providing alternative pop tunes since their debut single, ‘Stuck‘, back in 2016. Their fourth record provides an atmosphere straight from a club filled with funk, disco, and pop influences.

With the group beginning when sisters Cristal and Alisa Ramirez were ten and eight years old, it is clear that the group has solid foundations within crafting and enjoying music. Their musical influences pull from a variety of genres, some of which can be heard in this record. I took note of the likes of Michael Jackson and Earth, Wind & Fire, especially.

Side One

The introduction is immersive and pulls the listener in perfectly. It wasn’t what I expected, and I found, as I listened to the album in full, that it was a good way to introduce audiences to what to expect. Combined with the interlude, it adds an element of storyline to the record. The only thing that disappointed me about this element, along with the cover art, is that I felt it leaned more into a seventies disco world than the actual tracks themselves did. It almost left me wanting more.

The opening track, ‘Jealous‘, introduced me to one of my favourite elements of this LP – the basslines. McKenna Petty delivered some brilliant basslines throughout the record that I found were consistently interesting and vibrant. They feel inspired by disco and funk, as well as helping to maintain the upbeat, party vibe. The vocals reminded me slightly of Katy Perry’s recent efforts, specifically her track ‘WOMAN’S WORLD‘. As with the project as a whole, the opener was polished and well-produced.

‘The Magic‘ also has a bassline that feels inspired by funk. However, I felt the production of this song was more authentically disco than its opener. The sound is fuller and feels less afraid to push the boundaries when considering effects placed on the vocals and synthesizer work.

The title track of the record brought the vibes down a little and had more of a chill atmosphere overall. The lick in the chorus reminded me of ‘Music Sounds Better With You‘ by Stardust, which I think makes sense when considering the context of the sounds of this release and that single. It’s clear the artists have pulled from authentic inspiration to design a sound rooted in club music. Guitarist Katie Henderson’s part on this one feels quite minor, but I feel it would be empty without her additions.

‘You Got Me‘ had the worst transition of the record. Throughout every other track, the transition was pretty smooth. However, here it felt more jolted as though it was shoved into the running order at the last minute. I also thought the lyrics were cliché and unoriginal. It was one of the songs on the LP that didn’t stand out to me for good reason.

Side Two

The vocals on ‘She Likes Me‘ reminded me of Ariana Grande at times, demonstrating the powerful vocal style of Cristal Ramirez. The band actively avoided flat moments by filling every empty space with interesting sound effects, such as a subtle drum fill. After my gripes with the previous track, I also felt that this one had more engaging lyrics that I found myself listening to for the right reasons. It’s a fresh and enjoyable start to the second half of this album.

‘Stroke‘ had some of my favourite musicality on the album. Both the guitar riff and the drum beat stood out to me and felt distinct. I also really enjoyed the queer lyricism here and the way that it is written not to stand out but to be normalised, as heterosexual relationships are discussed in songs. This was a really cool aspect of this all-female record for me and is definitely something I’d like to see more of across different genres. The follow-up, ‘Twin Flame,’ is another catchy number, with every element working well together.

After ‘Twin Flame‘, I noticed the sound became somewhat fatiguing. The LP repeats many of its strongest points so often that, by the end, I was almost searching for a new sound. This goes for both ‘Fire in the Hole‘ and the closing track ‘I’m Sweet (I’m Mean)‘. Yet, wedged in between those two songs is ‘Spending the Night‘, which I think leans more towards contemporary pop artists like Sabrina Carpenter. It’s also a highlight for the keyboard and drums.

Overall, I feel the record is consistent, both in its sound and how I feel about each track individually. Its sound is distinct and clear, which is brilliant except near the end, when I felt almost fatigued by it. To summarise, I did feel as though the album reminded me of the Barbie soundtrack. It’s upbeat, feminine, and well-polished.

Score: 7/10

The Aces are on Instagram, TikTok, and X. You can read more album reviews here and stream their latest album, ‘Gold Star Baby‘, below. Alternatively, you can pre-order the vinyl.

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