Has Calvin Harris done for Dua Lipa what he did for Rihanna? Nope. After flirting with funk on his last album, Harris seems to be returning to the dancefloor – One Kiss is all 90s house production with chirruping horns, but it just doesn’t really go anywhere. Throw in Dua’s nonchalant vocal and a flat melody that consists of about three notes, and this hook-less track is one disappointment.
Don’t bother.
John Legend & Bloodpop – A Good Night
After producing Friends with Justin Bieber, Bloodpop’s gone from strength to strength with a string of remixes. Now he’s joined John Legend for a fun track about love at first sight in the club. “I think I just met my wife,” admits Legend in the chorus, then later “I’m ready to meet your momma.” Whoa there John, I’ve only just sipped my first Woo Woo. If anything, A Good Night sounds like an ode to Legend’s wife Chrissy Teigen who, let’s face it, is probably more famous than he is by now.
Worth a listen.
Tove Styrke – On The Low
“I don’t want to keep it on the low low low…,” sings Styrke in a hushed falsetto, almost whispering. On The Low is a quiet, precious little song, Styrke almost too scared to let loose her real feelings (“Just want you and I, with no space in between”). Screaming bursts eventually make their way into the chorus, fracturing all that fragile vulnerability, before returning to childlike, pulsing synths. Third album ‘Sway’ can’t come soon enough.
Worth a listen.
Friendly Fires – Love Like Waves
Friendly Fires haven’t released any new music since their second album ‘Pala’ way back in 2011. Love Like Waves is a tropical smash that picks up where that album left off: a rush of whirring synths, funk harmonies, steel drums and layers upon layers of rhythm that ensure this is their most danceable track yet. This is pure joy and deserves to be the song of the summer.
Add to playlist.
Ben Howard – A Boat To An Island On The Wall
Does anyone really want to listen to seven minutes of dreary singing, lumbering rhythms and meandering self-indulgence? No.
Don’t bother.
Ross From Friends – March
Yes you’re probably expecting an avant garde concoction of strange synth sounds, but Ross From Friends is actually UK producer Felix Weatherall who’s at the heart of the lo-fi dance scene. March is taken from his new ‘Aphelion EP’, all clipped beats, ethereal synths and clever use of samples with a touch of humour. You can definitely see where he got the name from.
Worth a listen.
Ed Sheeran – Candle In The Wind
Yes. This actually exists.
Don’t bother.