Category Archives: Album

Jessie Ware: Devotion (Album Review) + Stream

Let me start by saying I can’t remember the last time I anticipated a debut album quite as much as Devotion by Jessie Ware. I was blown away upon hearing Running a few months back, and with every flawless track she has released since that my excitement grew. I finally got my hands on an advance a few weeks ago and have been playing it non-stop ever since, Devotion has certainly lived up to my high expectations based on the quality of the first singles Running, Wildest Moments and 110% .

Ware first caught my attention with her collaborations with SBTRKT and Sampha, those resulted in her signing to PMK for the release of her debut. On the album production duties went to Dave Okumu of The Invisible and house producer Julio Bashmore. Rather than showcasing her gorgeous voice through straight up Whitney Houston style ballads, they chose a more interesting route and crafted phenomenal modern sounding productions which when mixed with Ware’s classic soulful voice create a more intricate and engaging soundscape.

These emotion soaked songs will surely make an impression on you if you are a lover of classics like Sade. Quite simply it’s really just a phenomenal album, one of the best of the year, a perfect blend of soul and pop with a dance flavor and a wonderful nostalgic feel in places. This is album is so strong that I could easily name each and every song as a standout, but my absolute favorite tracks are the super smooth Sweet Talk which sounds like a classic 80s soul track, the sultry laid back groove Swan Song, and of course the gloriously smokey Running.

Keep your eye on her, she’s going places!

Devotion is set for release 8/20 in the U.K and 8/21 in the U.S. Stream it below.

Florrie: Late EP (Review)

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Florrie‘s latest release Late is the third in a series of independently released EPs that the uber talented British songstress has treated us to over the past few years. Like her previous offerings, the four track EP is expertly crafted pop with fantastic synths, smooth vocals, and a serious injection of attitude!

Things get off to an excellent start with the feisty Shot You Down, a French disco take on the Wild West which boasts a fantastically catchy chorus“Got my finger on the gun, bang bang I shot you down” she sings, showing Madonna‘s not the only gun-toting pop star in the game!

Next up is I’m Gonna Get You Back, a fast paced guitar heavy track on which Florrie sings about getting her man back. This is a little more rock flavored than the songs on Introduction or Experiments but the addition of soft wistful hooks give the song a great balance, and it’s brilliant to see her playing around with styles.

On Every Inch, she seductively schools a prospective lover on what he must do to get with her. Electrifying synths and a pounding bassline make this instant classic and my personal favorite on this release. It marks all the boxes of what a good pop song should be and has huge potential to be a mainstream hit.

To The End, makes for a wonderful album closer, it takes us into more melancholy territory lyrically but the energy is maintained with an interesting mix of punchy synths, smashing drums and a haunting piano.

Late is the last independent release as Florrie has now signed to a major label, we’re so excited for her! Late is available on iTunes now.

Marina and the Diamonds: Electra Heart (Review)

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Like many of you I eagerly anticipated the release of Marina and the Diamonds‘ sophomore album Electra Heart, the follow-up to the spectacular The Family Jewels album released back in 2010. As I’m sure you’ll agree, often times it is a struggle for an artist to match or exceed the brilliance of their debut album, I’m happy to say Marina had absolutley no trouble with that!

On Electra Heart Marina teamed up with a talented set of pop’s finest producers including Greg Kurstin, Liam Howe, Dr. Luke and Diplo many of whom she worked with in LA. Marina is a girl who likes her creative control so she admitted that she was skeptical about working with American producers who she feared would craft her into an American pop sound, luckily she has successfully managed to avoid that and created an album that is 100% her.

♡ S U – B A R B I E – A ♡

Her brilliant American archetypes concept has been the foundation for the album, and she has throughly immersed herself in it, taking on each different persona (Teen Idles, Homewrecker, Su-Barbie-A, and The Primadonna) in a series of fabulous images (which can be found on her Electra Heart tumblr) and the acoustic and original videos released for various tracks. It’s all delightfully reminiscent of the fabulous Cindy Sherman who Marina freely admits is an influence.

Marina has a knack for writing accessible but brilliant pop lyrics, and one Electra Heart she effortlessly works within her theme discussing topics like love and popularity through these different archetypes. While these personas are extremes, there is still something very relatable in the lyrics and Marina manages to also remain herself and not merely a character.

♡ H O M E W R E C K E R ♡

While the entire album is a delight, a perfect mix of emotional ballad and full on dance numbers that still have a soul, my personal standout tracks are the moody electro banger Power & Control complete with intense beats and twinkly synths, Living Dead (which was one of the tracks to surface in demo form last year) a frenzied dance stomper on which Marina sings passionately about waiting for your life start, the energetic album opener Bubblegum Bitch which gets things off to a fantastic start, and the heartbreakingly honest ballad Lies which showcases Marina’s immense vocal ability.

Electra Heart is already one of my favorite releases of the year, it’s so refreshing to have an intelligent pop album to listen to! You can pick it up today on iTunes UK, it’s well worth your investment!

What you heard Electra Heart? Let us know what you think of it when you have!