Over the past 12 months AlunaGeorge have become a sort of victory flag to be waved smugly at the cynics who throw all pop music into the same barrel and poo-poo it relentlessly. And while they are mostly correct there are some exceptions, thankfully. Enter ‘Body Music.’
Saying that, the album doesn’t get off to the greatest start, ‘Outlines’ sort of just lulls about as does the title track but these aren’t bad tracks they’re just outshone by their companions. For example already familiar single ‘You Know You Like It’ still sounds as fresh and exciting as it ever did one year later.
Elsewhere are other songs that have been circulating for quite a while, like the monstrously sexy put-down anthem ‘Attracting Flies’ and second single ‘Your Drums, Your Love’ also features. While some people may be a bit disappointed the album contains a lot of material they’ve already heard, the duo would have be mad not to include the tracks that made people start listening to AlunaGeorge in the first place.
‘Your Drums’, isn’t even one of the best tracks on show here such is the quality of new additions like the fast-firing ‘Lost & Found’ which highlights Francis’s unique vocal delivery whilst it flutters and weaves on top of ice cold synth and an analeptic rhythm that is perhaps Reid’s swan song in terms of production. An absolute joy!
There are cute sounds littered everywhere throughout ‘Body Music’ as the outro of ‘Superstar’ tempted me to crack out the Early Learning Centre xylophone I had when I was seven.
The album closes with a infectiously fun cover of Montell Jordan’s ‘This is How We Do It’ which is completely absurd, but it’s startling how invigorating it is to hear two artists having so much fun working their craft. Poptastic!
Body Music is out on Monday 29th July – for more info visit www.alunageorge.com