The year 2000 saw the return of the Spice Girls as an entity after a wealth of solo projects, weddings, babies and tabloid headlines. It was inevitable that a couple of years down the line from their previous outing, Spiceworld, things were going to have changed--the girls had grown up from the day-glo, big-shoed, larger-than-life cartoon characters that they'd started out as. Forever, therefore, is the sound of the new Spice Girls, slick R&B ("Holler", "Right Back At Ya") created by star producer Rodney Jerkins (TLC, Destiny's Child, Janet Jackson), alongside instantly recognisable Spice ballads ("Goodbye", "Let Love Lead The Way"). Slick as it may be, the overwhelming impression is that Spice Girls have lost their magic sparkle--there are no ebullient calls-to-arms like "Spice Up You Life" or "Wannabe", instead it's vocoders and shuffling beats all the way. Melanie C seems to be the most out of her depth in this new environment, with her strident tones (though well-suited to the full-on pop she successfully purveys as a solo artist) sounding completely out of place amongst the soft harmonies. All the things that made the Spice Girls great are gone--the in-your-face attitude, the brash anthems, the ridiculous outfits and the total all-round pop sensibility. Everyone has to grow up eventually, but it's always sad when they forget how to have fun. --Helen Marquis