If Inside Out proves one thing, it's the masterful ability of Pixar to tell stories.
The concept is a bizarre one. Inside our heads live tiny characters that represent our key conflicting emotions and control us through an elaborate control panel. Memories are stored in bowling ball-like orbs that collect each day and are later stored. Key memories are stored separately and power up personality islands. Then there are lightbulbs of ideas, a Hollywood-esque dream studio, an Imagination Land of abstract thoughts, and a thought train to link them all together.
Yet somehow, within minutes, this all makes perfect sense. The opening exposition is carefully constructed to slowly layer each element, introducing this cartoon world of pop psychology piece by piece. From here, the narrative is perfectly paced: it's a hugely enjoyable fantasy journey through human emotions, whilst also providing exploration and development of character that builds towards an emotional climax. It's clear that story arc is of primary importance in Pixar's work, forming a central core to the film that's established before the aesthetics.
Really, this is two parallel stories in one. On the outside, we have ten year old girl Riley dealing with moving home, losing friends and generally learning to grow up - notions that children and adults can relate to. On the inside, we have the cartoon world of the brain, its colourful and emotional inhabitants who must learn to do what's best for Riley. What's so clever is how these two strands relate. The writers have managed to convey quite complex psychological concepts in an imaginative yet understandable way. As with all Pixar films, Inside Out is an entertaining adventure for children, whilst adults will dig deeper into its layered narrative.
What Pixar also do well is to tap into the zeitgeist. Having a girl protagonist who's something of a tomboy (she plays ice hockey) fits well with the current wave of feminism, whilst remaining a neutral avatar for the whole audience. Meanwhile, comedienne of the moment Amy Poehler voices lead emotion Joy - her voice instantly recognisable and well-suited to the character.
Inside Out doesn't quite have the distinct aesthetic charm of Pixar's best - the characters feel a little too generic - but it tells a thought-provoking story that's joyful and sad in equal measure. You will probably shed a tear.
Jess Glynne's debut 'I Cry When I Laugh' was released last week and has swiftly hit the top of the charts. That's despite the singer suffering from 'Featured Singer-itus' a not so rare condition where a featured vocalist fails to produce satisfying solo material.
Ella Eyre is bound to suffer the same fate.
In fact, copy and paste this review of Jess Glynne and switch her name to Ella Eyre and every Clean Bandit mention to Rudimental. There. Done.
Just as Glynne spent her album attempting to imitate the success she found with the dance-classical band, Eyre has gone through the exact same process, filling her album with the D&B meets London Soul sound of Rudimental. Together, If I Go, Always, Good Times - they all sound the same and they all sound like Rudimental. And that's just the first four tracks.
And as with Glynne, it's not to say Eyre isn't a talented vocalist, with a rich soulful tone that lends itself to more than just one genre.
Also, THAT hair.
The key difference between Glynne and Eyre is that where Glynne released her album off a string of solo number ones, Eyre is yet to find solo success at all. Instead, she's still best known as "that girl with the big hair who sang on the best Rudimental song that won a Brit award".
That in itself is a real shame. Eyre deserves more. Sassy pop track Comeback and the shuffling Deeper are both great singles that failed to light up the charts. What went wrong? Joe Public currently has no clue as to the personality of Ella Eyre. And after listening to the mediocre 'Feline' they'll be left none-the-wiser.
It might seem unfair to compare Glynne and Eyre. But when their albums are released within a week of one another, the very nature of the charts forces a comparison. And judging by past success, it's clear who will come out on top.
Pick a musical. Any musical. The chances are, the composer
was Jewish. No, really.
Monty Python may have coined the phrase for their musical Spamalot, but You Won’t Succeed On Broadway If You Don’t Have Any Jews only
proves the truth behind the joke. The show, arriving in London after
performances in Tel Aviv, is both history lesson and entertainment.
Beginning with the 1930s and composing brothers George &
Ira Gershwin, the cast take us on a tour – revue style – through the annals of
musical theatre history, right up to present day. Along the way there are songs
from some of Broadway’s biggest hits: Oklahoma,
Guys and Dolls, Cabaret, Les Misérables, Rent, Hairspray and, of course, Fiddler on the Roof. Each decade is
introduced by voiceover and projected animation, providing an interesting (if a
little patronising) dash of education alongside the music.
The cast comprises names big and small, including West End
star Sarah Earnshaw; the first British Fantine in Les Mis Jackie Marks; Sophie Evans of BBC series ‘Over The Rainbow’
fame; and Lloyd Daniels who recently swapped (minor) ‘X Factor’ fame for Joseph’s
famous coloured coat. The twelve strong singing cast are joined by six dancers
who add some welcome visual interest.
As with this form of revue show, there are a few
inconsistencies, wobbles and odd directorial decisions. For instance,
Sophie Evans gives a graceful rendition of (what else?) “Over The Rainbow” that’s
almost ruined by distracting interpretive dance; David Albury croons “Summertime”
with a smooth tone but too many pop riffs; and Yiftach Mizrahi runs out of
steam alongside the dancers in “Luck Be A Lady”.
More often than not, though, the risks are successful –
Danny Lane, in particular, offers a stunning turn singing “Everything’s Coming
Up Roses”, a song usually performed by a woman. And after the exuberant Act One
finale of “Tradition” from Fiddler on the
Roof, the second act is a much stronger affair – clearly the cast are more
comfortable with modern material: from full company numbers such as “Be Our Guest”
from Beauty and the Beast and “One
Night Only” from Dreamgirls (sung
brilliantly by Earnshaw), to smaller ensemble numbers “Four Jews in a Room”
from March of the Falsettos and “Getting
Married Today” from Company (again,
stolen by Earnshaw), to an emotional revisiting of “I Dreamed a Dream” by
Jackie Marks that’s later toppled by Rebecca Wicking’s heart-wrenching “Papa
Can You Hear Me?” from Yentel. As a
whole, the cast are superb and a joy to watch, ensuring this is an entertaining
evening of song, dance and fun.
If there’s one major flaw, though, it’s the glaring and
somewhat offensive omission of Leonard Bernstein (who’s only passingly
mentioned in relation to Sondheim) and Marvin Hamlisch (whose score for A Chorus Line also receives a mere passing
mention). I can only assume this is for some sort of legal reason as no musical
history lesson - Jewish or otherwise - is complete without them.
4/5
Watch: You Won’t Succeed
On Broadway… runs at the St James Theatre until 5th September.
Being based on a 1967 film set in the 1920s may not seem all
that modern, but it’s surprising how the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie (which premiered on Broadway in 2002) has
remained relevant. A comic pastiche of classic Broadway musicals, its narrative
follows the young Millie Dillmount as she moves to the Big Apple and plans to
marry for money rather than love. The feminist agenda – an independent woman
taking control of her destiny – is as ripe in 2015 as it ever has been.
It’s a shame, then, that this production feels half-baked. For
such a whacky show, the cast lack energy as they perform on a mostly empty Art
Deco stage. Francesca Lara Gordon’s Millie doesn’t quite have the zany yet
ditzy attitude to carry the plot; Ben Stacey’s Jimmy lacks masculine charm and
presence; whilst Chipo Kureya’s Muzzy Van Hosmere isn’t the scene stealing diva
you might expect. By contrast, Steph Parry’s Mrs Meers, with a dodgy
(intentionally) Chinese accent that borders on racist, feels over-egged – an outdated
villainous character from the show’s past that undermines its modernist themes.
Musically, the show follows this characterisation. The
capable band is minimal, playing a reduced orchestration that lacks oomph;
likewise, there are some sweetly sung vocal performances (from Gordon
especially), but it all feels too underpowered, too nice, too polite. The showstopping
numbers don’t have the razzmatazz or emotional depth to really wow.
That’s not to say the cast lack talent – far from it. They
just need to be pushed harder by director Matthew Iliffe, to heighten the
characterisation, to boost the vocals, to raise their game that bit further. This
is a young cast who don’t quite fit their assigned parts, though on the
periphery Christina Meehan shows great comedy in a variety of roles, both Charlie
Johnson and Thomas Inge are supremely skilled dancers, and Sarah-Marie Maxwell
has the characterisation of the giggly, klutzy Miss Dorothy Brown on point.
It’s in the ensemble numbers that the show eventually comes
alive, though these are too few and far between and sometimes feel too big for
the limited space of the Landor Theatre. Sam Spencer Lane’s Charleston-inspired
choreography is fast-paced and lively, performed with energy and sharpness by
the cast, whilst the tap numbers are skilfully danced. These moments prove that
Thoroughly Modern Millie is
thoroughly entertaining, though it could be so much more.
3/5
Watch: Thoroughly
Modern Millie runs at the Landor Theatre until 13th September.
Featured singer-itus. It’s a condition that few featured
vocalists have ever managed to avoid, becoming mere extras in the annals of
music history rather than fully-fledged popstars in their own right. Jess
Glynne, sadly, is unlikely to escape that same fate.
That’s not to say Glynne is untalented – far from it. She’s
leant her vocals to a number of different tracks on the strength of her talent
alone, coming to the attention of many on Route 94’s My Love, before truly breaking through on Clean Bandit’s Rather Be. She sings with a powerful,
reedy tone and husky upper register that’s immediately recognisable. Vocally Glynne
really lets loose on ballad Take Me Home
– a welcome respite from all the dance beats. It’s hardly Adele though.
The main issue with ‘I Cry When I Laugh’ is Glynne’s frequent
pairing with Clean Bandit. When Rather Be
(and later Real Love) emerged
last year, the band’s mix of classical and dance music sounded fresh. Fast forward
a year and on her solo material Glynne is still trading on that same template –
annoyingly catchy vocal hooks, bright strings, house piano and deep beats. Nestling
her own tracks amongst those of her collaborators only highlights the lack of
soul and distinct personality on the album, her music mostly plastic imitations
of Clean Bandit. The fact there’s a duet with the Queen of Boring Emeli Sandé simply
fuels the fire.
That’s not to say there aren’t some decent tracks here. Not Letting Go with Tinie Tempah (one of
the songs of summer 2015) is criminally only available on the deluxe edition,
but elsewhere Real Love is as strong
a pop song as ever and the acoustic version of My Love is beautiful in its simplicity. Dig a little deeper and you’ll
find the disco funk of You Can Find Me, the
stuttering beats of Why Me, and the
staccato horns of It Ain’t Right. Equally
there are the identikit singles Hold My
Hand, Ain’t Got Far To Go and Don’t
Be So Hard On Yourself, plus the weirdly Indian influenced, sadly-not-a-cover-of-Taylor-Swift Bad Blood.
There’s very little here you won’t have heard before:
whether literally (in terms of previously released singles and features), or
sonically. The album boasts a surprising amount of number one singles and no
doubt this album will ride that wave to the top of the charts. But Jess Glynne’s
time is now – as a solo artist she doesn’t have the personality or longevity to
stick around.
It’s so hard in this day and age of pop to come up with a
new sound, yet that’s exactly what FKA Twigs has done, culminating in last year’s
debut album ‘LP1’. Sure, you can hear influences in her spectral R&B sound
(from the likes of Björk to Aaliyah), but her music is unique, instantly
recognisable and utterly fresh.
That remains true for this new EP, ‘M3LL155X’. Far from being
offcuts from the album, these five songs are amongst her best yet (some were even written before the album). Sex remains
high on the agenda – opening track Figure
8 alone features elongated groans and lyrics such as “I’ve a baby inside,
but I won’t give birth ‘till you insert yourself inside of me”. For the most
part, though, the sex is tinged with jealousy and issues of control. “Stop
playing with those other girls, you know it makes me jealous baby” she sings on
I’m Your Doll before the chorus of “I’m
your doll, wind me up…dress me up…love me rough”. In Time then deals with the aftermath: “In time, your hands on my
body will resonate through me like they did before”. These lyrics are often accompanied
by a lower vocal range, quite literally adding depth to her music and sounding
more relatable than before.
Then there’s the production, as off-kilter and abstract as you’d
expect and filled with tiny touches that reward repeated listening. That said, ‘M3LL155X’
contains some of her most accessible music to date – or perhaps we’re just
becoming more accustomed to her sound? Either way, more than ever her music
sounds like R&B stretched, squeezed and morphed through her own twisted
filter: from the clipped beats of Figure
8, to the melodic hooks of I’m Your
Doll and Mothercreep, and the
vogueing of Glass & Patron (“hold
that pose for me”).
In Time, though,
is the real highlight of the EP and the closest Twigs gets to typical R&B
with its traditional structure, regular beat and earworm chorus. If ‘M3LL155X’
proves one thing it’s that Twigs is surely capable of spanning multiple genres
and audiences. And with the EP accompanied by an extended video that's as dark and bizarre as we've come to expect, there really
is no end to her talents.
I confess I'd discounted Carly Rae. Call Me Maybe may have been the biggest hit of 2012, but album 'Kiss' that followed was a squeaky, sickly sweet affair. And does anyone even remember her 2008 debut 'Tug Of War'? With 'Emotion', though, she's proven she's more than a one-hit-wonder - she's a bona fide popstar.
What a popstar needs is not just one catchy hook-laden chorus, but a whole album's worth. And that's exactly what Carly Rae has delivered with 'Emotion'. You will have already heard the fizzing I Really Like You - a cutesy, anthemic little pop number that you should already really really really really really really like - but there's also the giddy rush of Run Away With Me and its glorious saxophone riff, the bubbling title track, the widescreen joy of Gimmie Love and so, so much more.
Perhaps too much more. The deluxe edition is seventeen tracks long: an extensive collection of songs that does dip a little in quality towards the end. Yet as the title suggests, she covers a variety of emotions over the course of those songs, predominantly falling in and out of love. Mostly this is a frothy but always enjoyable pop album that's quite simply fun to listen to from start to finish.
The overall 80s sound certainly takes a cue from Taylor Swift's '1989', though lyrically it doesn't quite have the same depth. Yet the similarities are understandable with the likes of Max Martin, Mattman and Robin, and Shellback behind the production. There are even writing credits as varied as Sia, Dev Hynes, Ariel Rechtshaid and Greg Kurstin. So it's quite the team behind 'Emotion' - some of the best writers and producers in modern pop, in fact. The result is an impossibly polished 80s-influenced album, delivered through the effervescent personality of Carly Rae - just on the right side of adorable/nauseating.
Sprinkled liberally throughout are plenty of unexpected moments too. There's the excitable "yeah" in I Really Like You that comes in a beat early; the plunging bass notes of Gimmie Love; the silky, hushed vocals of the Prince-influenced All That; the chromatic chord change in the chorus of Making The Most Of The Night; or the 90s house feel of I Didn't Just Come Here To Dance.
Most unexpected of all? It's this good.
4/5
Gizzle's Choice:
* Run Away With Me
* I Really Like You
* Gimmie Love
2015 has already seen some brilliant British dance albums in the shape of Jamie XX's 'In Colour' and The Chemical Brothers' 'Born In The Echoes' amongst others. 'Knockin' Boots', the debut album from Bristol-based producer Julio Bashmore, could just top them - at least until Disclosure release their forthcoming 'Caracal' next month.
Bashmore first broke through in 2012 with his deep house track Au Seve, though 'Knockin' Boots' is the sound of the past - a recreation of vintage house sounds, inspired by its Chicago roots in the music of Frankie Knuckles and the French House movement of the 90s. This may seem derivative, but with so many dance artists following Disclosure down the deep house path, it's refreshing to see an artist change tact and celebrate the genre's heritage.
And so we have the giddy joy of the Daft Punk inspired She Ain't; the hard disco funk of Rhythm of Auld; the smooth vocals of For Your Love; the chopped spoken vocals of What's Mine is Mine; the African grooves of Umuntu; and the sun-dappled synths of Simple Love. In Bashmore's own words, house music is essentially "chopped-up soul music" - in no track is that clearer than lead single Holding On, with its warm synths, skittering beats and harmonious vocals.
The album flows like a DJ set, so whilst you'll find some lighter tracks with tuneful melodies and synth hooks (Holding On, Let Me Be Your Weakness), there are also harder tracks with dry beats and rhythmic samples (What's Mine is Mine, Bark). These tracks can become a little repetitive and lack the invention of elsewhere. What you won't find on 'Knockin' Boots' are the electro-pop hooks of Daft Punk, or the chart-topping collaborations of Disclosure.
What you will find is a serious dance album. Bashmore isn't concerned with pop or crossover appeal, instead he's delivered an authentic dance album that combines house music past with the polish of the present, with plenty of his own flourishes. Equally, it's an infectious, funky rush of an album: a serious history lesson disguised as fun.
4/5
Gizzle's Choice:
* Holding On
* Let Me Be Your Weakness
* Simple Love
1969. The Who release their seminal album ‘Tommy’, a ‘rock
opera’ concept album concerning the titular “deaf dumb and blind kid” who we
all know from Pinball Wizard. It was
a breakthrough hit for the band - only furthered by their performance at
Woodstock the same year – that paved the way for future rock bands with its
harder sound, and broke away from the pop norm established by the Beatles. Its
legacy has proven to be hugely influential.
Cut to present day and an early 90s Broadway musical based
on the album is being revived in London twenty years after it was first seen here,
forty years after the film also based on the album was released, and fifty years
since The Who were established. But does it really evoke the spirit of the band
and of the album?
The Who first blasted onto the pop scene with the rebellious
My Generation, but the only act of
rebellion here is the disregard for storytelling. The show follows the same
(loose) ‘plot’ as the concept album, using the same songs in mostly the same
order (with plenty of repetitive reprises). It follows the life of the
eponymous pinball wizard: traumatised into a state of psychosomatic catatonia
after witnessing a family murder, molested by his uncle, and bullied by his
cousin, Tommy discovers a talent for playing pinball. Soon he finds fame which
evolves into a bizarre cult. It’s understandable that in album form this story
would be told in an abstract manner, but theatre audiences expect more. Here,
the plot is hinted at through strange lyrics, stunted dialogue, elaborate dance
routines and (of course) music, but it’s mostly left for the audience to
decipher any form of meaning or feeling towards the characters – if indeed
there is any at all.
One of the major criticisms of the album is that whilst the
songs may work individually, the overall narrative arc doesn’t always flow. The same
can be said here. Translating the plot from one artform to another requires
more than has been offered here – the story deserves to be fleshed out and
visual spectacle would provide aesthetic interest beyond the barebones staging,
simple lighting and white-washed costumes. Equally, the abstract storytelling
proves more enticing than a standard jukebox musical, it’s just underdeveloped.
Settle into the groove of the show, though, and there are
some intriguing individual numbers. That’s largely down to the talented cast
who perform with the high energy and strong vocals the music demands. It’s
certainly better suited to male voices than female, but the impressively
piercing tenors of Ashley Birchall (Tommy), Giovanni Spano (Cousin Kevin) and
Danny Becker (ensemble) in particular more than fit the bill. The choreography
is sometimes frantic but always exciting.
The cast are let down by the band, however. The Who are
known for the high volume and distorted guitars that since became standard
practice for rock bands, with guitarist Pete Townshend and drummer Keith Moon
regularly smashing their instruments. Here the on-stage band sound far too
polite. Sure, they aren’t meant to distract from the performers, but the music
fails to live up to the band, lacking flair and bite. Watching the guitarist
mime smashing his guitar at the very end post-bows sums up the show – this is
The Who, but not as we know them.
3/5
Watch: Tommy runs
at the Greenwich Theatre until 23rd August.
Playwright, composer, director and performer Noël Coward was
known for his flamboyance and comedic wit – two things that are missing from
this ‘naughty’ night from Proud Haddock Productions.
It comprises two of Coward’s plays – We Were Dancing(1935)and
The Better Half (1921) – that both
concern extramarital affairs. In the former, a married woman falls in love with
a man she’s just met, though they soon realise they have nothing in common and
their spark soon fizzles. In the latter, a woman is stuck in an unhappy
marriage and encourages (in a back handed manner) her husband to embark on an
affair. Both plays, then, explore the superficiality of marriage and the
impossibility of women, set in the elegant high society of so much of Coward’s
work. The women are in control and the men merely helpless pawns in their love games.
The total running time is just over an hour for both plays,
meaning these are little more than frivolous sketches. Together they parallel
one another and suggest an overarching theme, but even in the short running
time they feel like one joke stretched out. These are far from Coward’s best
work – if anything they are a snapshot back in time, providing an intriguing
look into his lesser known work, whilst failing to prove their relevance.
Each play is led by an excellent performer. Lianne Harvey
amuses as Louise Charteris in We Were
Dancing, evoking a naïve and hopeless romantic caught between two men – her
past and future. In The Better Half,
Tracey Pickup offers a tour-de-force performance as Alice, setting a frantic
pace that drives the narrative flow. And in both plays Tom Self provides some
musical accompaniment using Coward’s own songs. As a whole, though, the cast
lack the chemistry to really bring out the comedy, producing titters rather
than laughter from the audience. The two plays are bizarre and the performances
border on eccentric – but the night as a whole is not bizarre or eccentric
enough to really come alive.
2/5
Watch: A Naughty Night
with NoëlCoward runs at the Old
Red Lion Theatre until 29th August.
1928. Germany. The Grand Hotel. The most expensive hotel in
Europe. And it runs like clockwork.
Perhaps you’d expect that from a German hotel, but this
production has the glossy, musical sheen that only Hollywood can provide. All-singing,
all-dancing porters take your bags, the service is friendly, and you may even
meet a rich celebrity or two.
Beneath the surface, though, the hotel bubbles with
corruption and horror. The narrative follows a number of different characters
as their paths intertwine across the lobby – there’s an aging ballerina past
her prime; a dying Jewish man who frequently suffers the prejudice of others; a
supposedly wealthy Baron forced to steal from his fellow guests. There are
shady business deals, money issues, and even murder and rape. It doesn’t quite
add up to the sum of its parts to create a satisfying narrative backbone –
instead these are disparate, overlapping stories. Yet the sinister tone is a
welcome one. This is a musical that’s not afraid to uncover the darker side of
life, to unveil the secrets of its characters, to prove that musicals aren’t
all joyful dance numbers and slushy romance. Here, love comes with a price.
That’s not to say there aren’t some exuberant dance numbers
in this production. Reflecting the plot, Lee Proud’s choreography quickly turns
from frivolous entertainment and buoyant Charlestons, to nightmarish
machine-like movement. And whilst it may seem too much for the cramped traverse
staging, the stage space is intelligently utilised under the direction of Thom
Southerland as scenes segue seamlessly from one to the next, creating smooth
pacing even where Luther Davis’ book is fractured. Robert Wright and George
Forrest’s music and lyrics only add to the Hollywood polish, with a jazz and
classical score full of high drama and sweeping, almost operatic, melodies,
even if they’re not the most memorable of tunes.
Every cog in this machine works incredibly hard – from the
aforementioned creatives through to the cast. A few performances stand out,
namely Victoria Serra as the naïve Flaemmchen hopelessly following a Hollywood
dream; Christine Grimandi as the diva ballerina Elizaveta Grushinskaya; Scott
Garnham as the lovable rogue Baron Felix Von Gaigern with a stunning high
tenor; and George Rae as the innocent and fragile Otto Krigelein. Yet every
member of the cast puts their all into the rich tapestry of harmonies and sharp
choreography. As the saying goes, ‘there are no small parts, only small actors’,
and it especially applies here.
It’s not quite a perfect machine – the narrative feels a
little too disparate, with some threads lacking development – but this is a
slick production from a talented cast of both experienced and young performers.
The Grand is a hotel everyone should be clambering to check into.
4/5
Watch: Grand Hotel runs
at the Southwark Playhouse until 5th September.
What with festival season and labels reticent to release new music around the experimental Global Release Day, it's been a pretty dry summer for new music so far. But fear not, plenty of tracks are on the way - here are some of the best:
Hailee Steinfeld - Love Myself
Well this is far superior to her contributions to Pitch Perfect 2, vocally, acting or otherwise.
The basic points are that the Oscar-nominated actress has co-written this song with Julia Michaels (who's worked with a tonne of female popstars), and production comes courtesy of Swedish duo Mattman & Robin (Taylor Swift, Tove Lo, Carly Rae Jepsen). It's therefore got that Swedish nuance of yearning melody and upbeat pop production and is absolute perfect pop material. Sure, Steinfeld's vocal is forgettable and could be replaced by anyone, but by these standards her pop career is set to surpass that of her acting.
4/5
Listen: Love Myself will be released on August 7th with an album to follow at Christmas.
Demi Lovato - Cool For The Summer
It's about time Lovato had a bona fide global pop smash. That time has come.
Cool For The Summer is essentially a sequel to Katy Perry's I Kissed A Girl ("got a taste for the cherry I just need to take a bite"), but with synthy disco production and an appropriately raunchy video. She's hardly the first female popstar to riff on a lesbian relationship to sex up their image, but few have looked this hot.
I heard this song and I like it. Just don't tell my mother.
4/5
Listen: Cool For The Summer is released on 28th August.
Rita Ora feat. Chris Brown - Body On Me
Speaking of riffing on others, here's a new single from Rita Ora. Touted as the next Rihanna from the start of her career, the next song to come from her (apparently) forthcoming second album features the Bajan singer's ex, but takes its cue from Gaga and R Kelly's Do What U Want. Original it isn't, but it's a perfectly serviceable mid-tempo R&B jam to slut drop to. The lyric "put your fingers into me" is a bit much though.
3/5
Listen: Body On Me is released on 7th August.
Robin Thicke feat. Nicki Minaj - Back Together
I wish I didn't like this.
The sentiment is as desperate as his ill-fated 'Paula' album from last year, but Minaj's rap and the electro-funk production (from Max Martin no less) elevate the track from laughable to pretty enjoyable.
3/5
Listen: Back Together is out now (in the US at least).
Sarah Harding - Threads
Let's just ignore the music for a moment - girl really needs a new stylist.
Maybe she's trying to cover up how bad Threads is with some bad...threads?
2/5
Listen: Threads is released on 7th August.
VV - Shift
VV Brown's 'Samson & Delilah' album was one of The Gizzle's top albums of 2013, but remains criminally underrated. Now under the new name of VV (how many name changes does one girl need?), this new track continues the dark, dramatic disco vibes in suitably off-kilter fashion. Pray for success - VV [Brown] is an artist who deserves it.
4/5
Listen: Shift will feature on a forthcoming album 'coming soon'.
Nero - Two Minds
Nero arose in the midst of the dubstep revolution a few years back and their album 'Welcome Reality' made quite a statement. Two Minds marks a surprising change in their sound that clearly courts current mainstream tastes, but it's quite the banger all the same, with a cool video to boot.
4/5
Listen: Two Minds is released on 4th September, with new album 'Between II Worlds' following a week later.
Jamie Woon - Sharpness
Remember this guy? He got the pulses of the BBC Sound Of panel racing back in 2011 (especially with the stunning Night Air), but has kept a low profile since the release of debut 'Mirrorwriting'. Sharpness is a sultry return that doesn't quite excite as much as his earlier work.
3/5
Listen: Sharpness is released on 11th August with an album to follow soon.
Hurts - Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is definitely a return to form for the synthpop duo after their disappointing second album, 'Exile'. It's certainly not short on drama, with storytelling lyrics, richly layered production and a stomping beat, all leading to a track reminiscent of their breakthrough Wonderful Life - an early pinnacle they're yet to match.
4/5
Listen: Rolling Stone is available now (if you pre-order forthcoming album 'Surrender', released on 9th October).
Sigala - Easy Love
Every summer brings with it an annoyingly catchy and omnipresent dance track. Welcome to this year's. Sampling The Jackson 5's ABC, expect to hear this track from the London producer EVERYWHERE for the next couple of months.
3/5
Listen: Easy Love is released on 4th September.
Canvas - You & Me
To slow the mood, here's some smooth electro-soul from Sweden's Canvas. It sounds more London or L.A than Sweden, but the brotherly duo have accompanied the tropical synth beats with plenty of Scandi melancholy.
4/5
Listen: You & Me is available now.
Kate Boy - Midnight Sun
And so we end this Roundup on a Scandi high with new music from Kate Boy.
Any music from these guys is a dream, so bring on the album in November.
4/5
Listen: Midnight Sun is available now, with album 'One' released in November.
If there's one song on 'Blood', the second album from Lianne La Havas, that defines the extremes of her career transition it's Never Get Enough. What begins as a lilting acoustic guitar track of sunny harmonies, gentle percussion and softly hushed vocals suddenly lurches into a biting chorus of electric guitar, stomping drums and processed vocals.
La Havas became a perhaps unlikely friend of Prince in 2014 when he played a gig in her living room - the stuff of dreams. She then featured heavily on his album 'Art Official Age' and it's clear that his influence has rubbed off. 'Blood' is a grander affair than quiet debut 'Is Your Love Big Enough', with expanded instrumentation, funkier rhythms and a grittier tone.
The likes of Unstoppable, What You Don't Do, Tokyo, Midnight and Never Get Enough all adhere to this new sound. The former in particular opens the album in a glorious flourish: all laidback funk beats and shimmering harmonies that are pure sunshine. What You Don't Do makes for obvious single material with its spiky rhythms, whilst Tokyo and Midnight both float along on funk grooves.
There's another reason for the change in sound though: as the title suggests, La Havas has spent time rediscovering her Greek and Jamaican roots. It's a concept album then, with the autobiographical Green & Gold at its heart ("dreaming of the green and gold, just like the ancient stone"). And whilst the elongated vibrato and breathy tone of her voice may seem lightweight, the concept proves there is personal depth to the lyrics, whilst the sound is a concoction of jazz, funk, soul, bossa and reggae. Final track Good Enough is especially poignant.
Indeed it's La Havas' vocal that remains the main draw of her music, but now it takes on a gutsy character alongside the usual lithe melisma. Production, meanwhile, comes courtesy of the likes of Stephen McGregor, Paul Epworth and Mark Batson, providing a smooth sheen of polish throughout - sumptuous and warm.
'Blood' is perhaps too polished though. Tracks like Never Get Enough hint at an edgier singer trying to burst through, but too often the album dips into easy listening. There's a lack of nagging hooks here, resulting in an album that's a little too Radio 2 and (dare I say it?) forgettable. 'Blood' is often beautiful and beguiling, but it's also not the essential listen it could be.
3/5
Gizzle's Choice:
* Unstoppable
* Green & Gold
* Never Get Enough
