Above the Noise

Above the Noise is the fifth studio album from English pop rock band McFly. The album was released on 15 November 2010.[1] The album spawned three singles: "Party Girl", which was released on 6 September; "Shine a Light", which was released on 8 November;[2] and "That's the Truth", which was released on 6 March 2011.

Above the Noise
Studio album by McFly
Released	15 November 2010
Recorded	2009–2010
Studio	DARP Studios Atlanta ICP Recording Studios Brussels
Genre	Pop rock, pop, EDM
Length	42:12
Label	Island / Universal
Producer	Alan Nglish, Dallas Austin, Taio Cruz, Jason Perry, Adam Noble
McFly chronology
Radio:Active (2008) Above the Noise (2010) Memory Lane: The Best of McFly (2012)
Singles from Above the Noise
"Party Girl" Released: 6 September 2010 "Shine a Light" Released: 7 November 2010 "That's the Truth" Released: 7 March 2011

The album's title was revealed when it was made available to pre-order from the HMV website. The band made the album available to download to members of their new official website, SuperCity. The band have worked with producers Dallas Austin and Taio Cruz on the album, which sees them return to their former record label, Island Records.[3] The album's track listing was revealed on 25 October 2010.[4] The album was certified as Gold in the UK. The album was released concurrently with the DVD Behind the Noise, which was exclusive to Asda, which contained behind-the-scenes footage from the album in addition to two music videos.

Background

After the release of "Falling in Love", McFly headed back into the studio to begin work on their next album. On 22 January 2010, it was announced that the band were going to re-sign with former label Island Records. This was later revealed to be a 50/50 deal that sees all profits except publishing split between Universal and McFly, including money from touring, record sales, merchandise and sponsorship.[5] The band began writing with producer Dallas Austin in April 2010. The album's title comes from a line in the second verse of the single "Shine a Light": "Tell me can you hear my voice, loud and clear above the noise?"

Singles

On 9 July 2010, Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter confirmed on Twitter that the first single from the album would be called "Party Girl", a track which was written in Atlanta with Austin.[6] According to Austin, "Party Girl" is the only track on the album with a heavily dance-oriented sound. The song premiered on 14 July 2010 on BBC Radio 1, and a one-minute-long snippet was posted on McFly's Myspace page. On the same day, InDemand played the full song. The single was released on 6 September 2010, peaking at number six on the UK Singles Chart.

The second single from the album, "Shine a Light", is a track produced and jointly written with Taio Cruz, who also features on the track. The song premiered on 21 September 2010, following a video treasure hunt competition involving the band.[7] The treasure hunt allowed fans to appear in the music video for the track by hunting for clues to get to the place of filming. The single was released on 8 November 2010.[8]

On 7 January, Tom and Dougie announced in a video message via SuperCity that "That's the Truth" would be the next single from the album, and it would be released on 6 March. A video for the song was recorded and live recording footage was broadcast through SuperCity. The video deals with Dougie Poynter's admission to rehab following his split with Frankie Sandford. This also resulted in three dates of the group's tour being rescheduled.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[9]
BBC	favourable[10]
Entertainment-Focus	positive[11]
Funky.com	[12]
Music News Daily	[13]
NME	(5/10)[14]
OK!	[15]
The Scotsman	positive[16]
Virgin Media	[17]

The album received generally favourable reviews from music critics. Jon O'Brien from AllMusic rated it 3.5 stars out of 5 and positively noted that "Above the Noise is McFly's most consistently strong collection of songs in their six-year career. Whether it will be enough to prevent their worrying sales decline remains to be seen, but by embracing their pop sensibilities, they've at least given themselves a fighting chance of competing with their contemporaries".[9] Iain Moffaft from the BBC gave a positive review for the album, saying the album was "the most radical break we can remember at this stage of a band's career since Everything but the Girl's jaunt into jungle, and one that confirms that McFly are not only conclusively back, but they might just have guaranteed themselves a future".[10] OK! Magazine were also positive in their review, saying that "anyone who's anyone in pop is going all 80s these days. Guitars are so yesterday, grandad and retro synths are where it's at! Even McFly – famous for their playschool punk-pop sound – have done it. And while it would be easy to accuse them of jumping on bandwagons to make a pile of cash, we're pleased because this is the best thing they've done."[15]

Entertainment Focus were also positive in their review saying that "Above the Noise is the best record that McFly have released in the 6 years they've been together. Finally maturing musically and moving away from the teen pop of previous releases, the band embrace pop sensibilities to create the strongest collection of songs they've ever recorded. Above the Noise should be a huge seller as we approach Christmas and don't be surprised if it spawns several hit singles".[11] Emma Dawson from M is for Music gave a mixed review, calling it a "embarrassing and average album", stating, "Above the Noise may be a welcome change and will certainly help them back on their feet after Radio:Active, however I'd much rather go and listen to Room on the Third Floor and Wonderland to remind me of the pop band they once were, and what I secretly wish they still were."[18] Hamish MacBain from the NME, while admiring the band's commercial endurance, dismissed the music as "absolute shite".[14] David Pollock from The Scotsman positively noted that the album is "undoubtedly their best studio effort yet, but still aimed squarely at those who like their pop glossy and unchallenging".[16] Johnny Dee from Virgin Media concluded that "Above the Noise is a stab at a mature pop sound which sometimes results in a bonkers Duran Duran meets Muse mish-mash complete with War of the Worlds rock opera climax".[17]

Chart performance

In UK, Above the Noise debuted at number 20 with sales of 17,662 sales in the first week, and by the end of the year was certified Silver, with sales of over 60,000. Since its release the album has sold over 100,000 copies so far in the UK. It fared better on the UK Albums Download Chart, peaking at number 7. In Scotland it peaked at number 20, and at number 79 in Ireland. In Spain, Above the Noise marks the first time an album of McFly's has peaked higher than in the UK; it peaked at number 15.

Track listing

The track listing was revealed when the album was made available to pre-order on Amazon.co.uk.[19]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"End of the World"	Tom Fletcher • Danny Jones • Dougie Poynter • Dallas Austin	Austin	4:02
2.	"Party Girl"	Fletcher • Jones • Poynter • Austin	Austin • Jason Perry	3:11
3.	"iF U C Kate"	Jones • Austin • Taio Cruz	Austin	3:38
4.	"Shine a Light" (featuring Taio Cruz)	Fletcher • Jones Cruz	Austin • Nglish	3:39
5.	"I'll Be Your Man"	Fletcher • Austin	Austin	4:15
6.	"Nowhere Left to Run"	Fletcher • Jones • Poynter • Cruz	Nglish • Cruz • Perry	3:23
7.	"I Need a Woman"	Fletcher	Austin	3:59
8.	"That's the Truth"	Fletcher • Jones • Poynter • Austin	Austin • Perry • Adam Noble	3:52
9.	"Take Me There"	Fletcher • Jones • Poynter • Austin	Austin	3:43
10.	"This Song"	Fletcher • Jones	Austin	4:07
11.	"Foolish"	Fletcher	Austin • Tokio	4:24

ASDA Bonus DVD: Behind the Noise

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Behind the Noise" (Documentary)	30:00
2.	"Party Girl" (Video)	4:08
3.	"Shine a Light" (Video)	3:45

Japanese Edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"End of the World"	Tom Fletcher, Dougie Poynter, Danny Jones, Dallas Austin,	Dallas Austin	4:02
2.	"Party Girl"	Danny Jones, Tom Fletcher, Dougie Poynter, Dallas Austin	Dallas Austin, Jason Perry	3:11
3.	"Kate*"	Danny Jones Dallas Austin, Taio Cruz,	Dallas Austin	3:38
4.	"Shine a Light"	Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, Taio Cruz	Alan Nglish	3:55
5.	"I'll Be Your Man"	Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, Dallas Austin	Dallas Austin	4:15
6.	"Hotel on a Hill" (Interlude)	Tom Fletcher	Tom Fletcher	1:29
7.	"Nowhere Left to Run"	Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, Dougie Poynter, Taio Cruz	Alan Nglish, Taio Cruz, Jason Perry	3:23
8.	"I Need a Woman"	Tom Fletcher	Dallas Austin	3:59
9.	"Sunny Side of the Street"	Tom Fletcher	Tom Fletcher	3:14
10.	"That's the Truth"	Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, Dougie Poynter, Dallas Austin	Dallas Austin, Jason Perry, Adam Nobles	3:52
11.	"Take Me There"	Dallas Austin, Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, Dougie Poynter	Dallas Austin	3:43
12.	"This Song"	Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones	Dallas Austin	4:07
13.	"Foolish"	Tom Fletcher	Dallas Austin, Naz Tokio	4:24
14.	"I'll Be Your Man" (Acoustic)	Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, Dallas Austin	Dallas Austin	4:42
15.	"Party Girl" (Danny Jones Remix)	Danny Jones, Tom Fletcher, Dallas Austin	Dallas Austin	5:00

Notes

• 'I Need A Woman' samples "My Girl", recorded by The Temptations and written by Smokey Robinson and Ronald White, and includes a riff from "Supreme", recorded by Robbie Williams and written by Williams and Guy Chambers. 'End of the World' samples "War of the Worlds", written and recorded by Jeff Wayne. 'iF U C Kate' has been abbreviated to 'Kate' on the Japanese version of the album, possibly due to the suggestiveness of the title. The album also includes the solo version of 'Shine A Light'.

Tour

Before the Noise Tour 2010

Tour dates

• 18 October – Southampton Guildhall
• 19 October – London O2 Sheperd's Bush Empire
• 21 October – Bristol Colston Hall
• 23 October – Manchester Apollo
• 24 October – Edinburgh Playhouse
• 26 October – Leeds O2 Academy
• 27 October – Derby Assembly Rooms

Setlist

1. "Party Girl"
2. "Nowhere Left to Run"
3. "5 Colors in Her Hair"
4. "iF U C Kate"
5. "I Need a Woman"
6. "Lies"
7. "Falling in Love"
8. "Star Girl"
9. "Dynamite"
10. "End of the World"
11. "Friday Night"
12. "Too Close For Comfort"
13. "All About You"
14. "I'll Be Your Man"

Encore

15. "One for the Radio"

16. "Shine a Light"

Above the Noise Tour 2011

Release history

Region	Date	Label	Format
Ireland	12 November 2010	Island	CD, digital download
United Kingdom (+ 'Behind The Noise')	15 November 2010
Europe
Spain	16 November 2010
Portugal
Germany	18 November 2010
Mexico	22 November 2010
Brazil	30 November 2010
Australia	10 December 2010
Japan	20 March 2011
United States	5 April 2011

Personnel

• Tom Fletcher – Rhythm guitar, lead vocals, backing vocals
• Danny Jones – Lead guitar, lead vocals, backing vocals
• Dougie Poynter – bass, backing vocals
• Harry Judd – drums, percussion
• Dallas Austin – producer, executive producer, keyboard (except on track 4), synths
• Jason Perry – producer, executive producer, drums (on track 2,6,8), guitar (on track 2,6)
• Mike Hartnett – bass, drums (only on track 3)
• Tony Reyes – guitar on track 3
• Taio Cruz – singer, synths, keyboard, producer
• Alan Nglish – producer
• Nels Israelson – photography
• Robert Orton – audio mixer
• Serban Ghenea – audio mixer (only on track 4)

Charts and certifications

Charts

Chart (2010)	Peak position
European Top 100 Albums[20]	41
Irish Albums (IRMA)	79
Mexican Albums (AMPROFON)[21]	100
Scottish Albums (OCC)	20
South Korea Albums (GAON)[22]	17
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[23]	15
UK Albums (OCC)[24]	20
Chart (2011)	Peak position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[25]	254

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[26]	Gold	100,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "McFly: Above the Noise (2010): CD". hmv.com. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
2. Edwards, Natalie. "First Listen: McFly's New Album". Daily Star. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
3. "The History of McFly: Above The Noise". Entertainment Focus. Archived from the original on 23 November 2010. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
4. "Above the Noise (includes exclusive print)". Townsend Records. 8 November 2010. Archived from the original on 7 November 2010. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
5. "McFly 50/50 Deal with Universal".
6. Love, Ryan (9 July 2010). "McFly confirm new single title". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 12 July 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
7. Dawson, Kim. "Simply The Best 7 Days A Week :: Playlist :: McFly and Taio Cruz go live with Twitter treasure hunt". Daily Star. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
8. "Shine A Light (Multi-Buy)". Townsend Records. Archived from the original on 15 November 2010. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
9. Chisling, Matthew (15 November 2010). "McFly – Above the Noise- AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
10. "Music – Review of Above The Noise – McFly". BBC. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
11. "McFly – Album review: Above The Noise – Album Reviews". Entertainment Focus. 13 November 2009. Archived from the original on 23 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
12. "McFly – Above The Noise Album Review by Funky". funky.co.uk. Archived from the original on 27 October 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
13. "Above The Noise Review". Music News Daily. 19 November 2009. Archived from the original on 28 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
14. "Above The Noise Album Review by NME". nme.com. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
15. "Above The Noise by McFly Album Review by OK! Magazine". okmagazine. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
16. "Above The Noise (McFly album review) by The Scotsman". The Scotsman. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
17. "Above The Noise Album Review by Virgin Media". virginmedia.com. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
18. McFly – Above the Noise M is for MusicRetrieved 1 March 2011
19. "Above The Noise: McFly: Amazon.co.uk: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
20. https://www.billboard.com/#/charts/european-albums?tag=relcharts
21. "McFly – Above The Noise – Music Charts". Acharts.us. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
22. ":: 가온차트와 함께하세요 ::". Gaonchart.co.kr. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
23. "spanishcharts.com – McFly – Above the Noise". PROMUSICAE. Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
24. "McFly | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
25. マクフライのCDアルバムランキング │オリコン芸能人事典-ORICON STYLE
26. "British album certifications – McFly – Above the Noise". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 July 2012. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Above the Noise in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.