Stop The Presses

Westlife sent THIS email to everyone on their mailing list today. I have no idea why I am on their mailing list, but it went to my junk mail anyway which means normality is restored:

It’s exciting news this week, as we can reveal that the boys have started work on a brand new album…

Start working? What input do the boys actually have? No doubt starting work means having a wanking contest to see who gets their face closest to the camera for the album cover.

At last, the news we’ve all been waiting for… After some well-earned holiday time, Shane, Nicky, Kian and Mark have gone back into the studio to begin recording a new studio album.

Well-earned holiday time? Shoulda sent them to Iraq.

They’ll be working with some of the biggest names in studio production, including Steve Mac, Quiz/Larossi, Per + David, Jorgen Elofsson and Maratone (Rami, Anthor + Savan), before jetting off to shoot the video for single #1 at the end of August.

Well, I may be stupid but I've never heard of any of those people. Not exactly Max Martin or LA Reid, is it? Thankfully, they aren't working with Timbaland.

The fact they are going to shoot a video for the first single weeks after STARTING the album suggests that recording a Westlife album isn't the hard slog we all expected it to be.

We’ll be keeping you up to date with all the latest news on how recording is going, but meanwhile, why not head over to the westlife.com forum, and swap ideas with other fans about what we can expect from the new album?

Well, why the hell not?
Here is what they have to say:

"Its great news & if there are a couple of covers thrown in Im not too bothered"

A couple? Make that 10 covers and one original, love.

Some of the fans have taken it onto themselves to find out where the recording studio is:

"It would be cool to know - then we can all head over there."

Great idea! We can bomb them to hell!

So yes. New Westlife album coming this year. Great news.
At least we all know what to get our grandparents!