Olly Murs – Right Place Right Time

When you think of Olly Murs, you’d be forgiven for being deceived by his nice boy image. Three things immediately spring to mind – braces, chinos and a cheesy grin. However, Murs’ third studio album, Right Place Right Time, sees him attempting to shake of these clean-cut shackles. With two million sales worldwide and three UK number one singles under his belt, Murs seems to have broken through a barrier that certain X Factor finalists have struggled with and has certainly cemented himself as a household name. Right Place Right Time is set to be Olly’s first US album release, begging the question, has he been influenced by the abundance of over-produced, American dance flooding the industry at the minute?

Troublemaker will be the first single released from the album on 18^th November; collaborating with Flo Rida (something which is becoming a right of passage for artists trying to break America), Murs seems to have turned his attentions from love lyrics to heavier baselines and dirtier beats. Tracks like Right Place, Right Time and Hey You Beautiful are where Murs pushes the limits of his chino-clad sex appeal with a more synthesised feel. Standout tracks, however, revert to the more poppy sound of his debut material. Army of Two has an unashamedly toe-tapping, jazzy vibe whilst Head to Toe and What a Buzz deliver a good dose of Murs’ cheesy pop style and will surely put a smile on even the hardest cynics face.

Murs’ third studio album is certainly shuffling away from the days of Please Don’t Let Me Go. However, Right Place Right Time doesn’t seem to have made a big enough leap to cement Murs in the dance genre and is left hanging in the balance with his strongest moments still being soulful pop tracks; even the slightly edgier releases seem to have a cringey awareness that this is still nice boy Murs. The album as a whole doesn’t disappoint: it has its catchy tunes and swoony lyrics, however, Olly Murs is certainly at his best singing about first dates, unrequited love and chasing girls alongside happy, poppy beats.  

Caitlin Middleton

Right Place Right Time is released on 26^th November 2012. For further information or to order the album visit Olly Murs’s website here.

Watch the video for Troublemaker here: