Pop vocal ensemble
Steps return with 2012's
Light Up the World, their first full-length studio album since 2001's
Buzz. The album features a variety of holiday-themed songs from some classic standards to a few new originals. Having broken up after
Buzz,
Steps reunited in 2011 for several live appearances and even participated in a four-part television documentary. While
Light Up the World may not quench longtime fans' thirst for a wholly original
Steps recording, the holiday theme is clearly a comfortable way for the band to get back into the studio and reintroduce itself to a more mature fan base. Which isn't to say that the sound of
Steps has changed that much over the preceding years since they broke up.
Steps have always been a light, well-produced pop ensemble and here listeners get a mix of slick, studio-driven music that falls somewhere between the '70s pop of
ABBA and the more synth-heavy adult contemporary sound of
Kylie Minogue. Included are such holiday classics as "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," as well as the new title track single. ~ Matt Collar