PCD (by The Pussycat Dolls, Pop)

The Pussycat Dolls' press release describes a group of starry-eyed young women who met in an unpretentious L.A. dance studio (that happened to be in Christina Applegate's garage), decided to get together and put on a show, then ended up taking the underground club scene by storm as a burlesque act, with none other than Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera, Pamela Anderson, and Paris Hilton sitting in at various times. The result -- the Pussycat Dolls' PCD album -- sounds like exactly what it is: a bunch of pretty dancers trying their best to sing like pop stars. But the thing is, their dancing talents just don't translate to singing.

The promise of the first few tracks (featuring cameos by Busta Rhymes, Will. I. Am, and Timbaland) isn't kept as the album drones on with tedious drum machine tempos and monotonous arrangements showcasing limited, overprocessed vocals. The sincere but uninspired originals are bad enough, but when they gamely start rolling through covers of "Hot Stuff (I Want You Back)" or (ouch) a medley of "Tainted Love" and "Where Did Our Love Go?"...you'll find yourself longing for the full-tilt competence of the original versions.

Released on: September 13, 2005
Label: A&M Records
Genre: Pop