Take That - "The Flood"

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Take That, one of the biggest boy bands of all time, were a five piece until 1995 when Robbie Williams left to pursue a solo career. 15 years later he is back and "The Flood" is the first single for the group having all five original members in place. It is a classic vocal anthem. Lyrically, things seem a bit cryptic, but there is no denying the beauty and power of the voices of Take That.

Robbie Williams kicks off the vocals of "The Flood" making it obvious from the beginning he is once again a full contributing member of Take That. The song slowly builds until launching into the first glorious chorus of all five voices harmonizing approximately a minute and a half into the song. We are instantly reminded that this is the group that created the sheer beauty of "Back For Good." It is great news for pop music to have all five of these voices back together.

Lyrically, it is a bit difficult to completely sort out the meaning of these words. It seems related to the band's struggles over the years and the need to deal with critics. The words do sound great, and Take That will likely have you singing along. They make creating a pop anthem sound effortless.

It would be a mistake to continue to refer to Take That as a boy band. Now with all members in their late 30s to early 40s, this is an adult male vocal group. That remains an unusual mainstream pop configuration. It holds more in common with R&B and the era of doo wop and pop standards. An engaging pop anthem like "The Flood," however, makes a strong argument for Take That to continue on and provide the stellar pop harmonies that make them unique. "The Flood" is a strong, welcome return to the five piece group making us all look forward to the full album Progress.