Ok...First things first. AlunaGeorge is two people: Aluna Francis, the sexy vixen vocalist fronting the operation and George Reid, the production mastermind behind it all. Together, they've taken a concept laid forth by heavyweights like SBTRKT and Disclosure and made their own electro-soul record, Body Music and it HITS. ON. EVERY. LEVEL. Man...This is the album you dance to, it's the album you chill out to, it's the album you get busy to...you get the idea. Reid's production is intricate, spiraling through different wavelengths, but it's Francis who steals the show. She's the one to watch and you never want to take your eyes off of her
She's a commanding presence, with a beautiful soothing, soulful voice and it doesn't take long for you to be hanging on her every word. The album opens with Reid's soft bass hit on "Outlines" and Francis begins:
It's not like a deja vu
And it's not an illusion
But sometimes I feel you
Through all the confusionAnd you're drawn to this gentle, seemingly vulnerable and torn voice. Reid creates a space age sound surrounding Francis' words and you relax and succumb to AlunaGeorge. It seems nice at this point...pleasant and verging on trip-hop, but it's not long before the pop star steps up. That docile creature we just met on the opening track becomes a distant memory on track two... What you expect from a track called "You Know You Like It", swagger, confidence, snark, a sexy fucking hook. It's all there:
You know you like it but it drives you insane
You know you like it but you're scared of the shame
What you want, what you gonna do?This is what a good pop singer oughta do. Make herself into that villainous vixen, one you can't help but want or want to be...and she's JUST out of your reach. She goes on to say things like "If you wanna train me, like an animal/Better keep your eye on my every move..." That's just flat out awesome. She builds so much sex appeal. Had the pleasure of seeing her live this year and she just OWNED the crowd. With every hip shake and every strut from one side of the stage to the other
I don't normally swoon over pop singers like this, but this one's got me hooked. And it's because her backing music is so real. It's like a beat i would listen to on it's own. I feel like a lot of pop stars get these mass produced beats (by talented producers nonetheless) and there's just a certain separation and artificiality to it all. This is not the case with AlunaGeorge. These beats were made for Aluna Francis. No one shopped around a tune and settled on her as the singer, this shit is made for her by her creative partner George Reid. case in point, "Just A Touch." The beat has effects on top of the base reminiscent of an an old Nintendo game like Section Z. She's so damn cute singing over it:
It's just a touch, so baby I don't want to know
It's just too much, so baby you don't need to show
It's just a touch, been cool to be friends
So, till we meet next time, till we meet next timeI can just picture her, standing tall and smacking her hands together and peacing out from this dude. Swag. Swag. Swag. She's just has "IT", and is moving on to the next thing on her terms
The crowning moment on Body Music comes on "Your Drums, Your Love." It opens up with a haunting distorted vocal sample and an intricate bassline with a wavy sound effect. The story of chasing after the apple of your eye builds until Francis explodes into the chorus:
I've been treading water for your love
Whether I sink or swim, it's you I'm thinking of
I've been treading water for your love
As my light grows dim maybe I'm not strong enough, ohAnd we ride the wave with them...moving to the beat and vibing on her presence. The album is aptly named Body Music because at it's core this is an album about movement. Movement through your body when you listen to it. Movement upwards to higher ground. Movement away from what's holding you back. But there's nothing holding AlunaGeorge back right now. This was the best dance-pop record of the year, in the same spirit as Katy B's monumental Katy on A Mission, but the difference is that Aluna Francis is less fabricated. George Reid is the driving force of her band. Imagine that...a band's instrumentation conceived and driven by a digital producer. The future is now and AlunaGeorge are rising straight to the top
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To listen to any of the albums on our countdown, check out our spotify playlist here
Peep the archives of all of the albums reviewed up to this point
#11 is due up tomorrow!
