AlunaGeorge, Body Music
Featured Album
Sleek, gently off-kilter electronic pop that is as haunting as it is hooky
The “Aluna” in AlunaGeorge is Aluna Francis, the voice behind Disclosure’s biggest and best single so far, “White Lies.” The “George” is producer George Reid. Together, the pair makes sleek, gently off-kilter electronic pop that is as haunting as it is hooky. Francis’s small voice would get her voted off TV competitions, but her self-possessed croon is perfect for Reid’s mix of minimalist UK dance grooves and American R&B.
Body Music‘s opening stretch is particularly strong, with a quartet of songs radiating childlike but slightly sinister vibes. “Outlines” offers a contemporary Anglo slant on classic Aaliyah; “You Know You Like It” weighs the risks of pleasure and commitment, likening intimacy to obsessive-compulsive disorder via a nagging, playground-like chant; UK hit “Attracting Flies” puts a playa in his place with a deceptively sweet lullaby. “Your Drums, Your Love” is essentially a symphonic soul song with studio tricks where the strings would ordinarily be, Francis holding a torch over Reid’s backward sound effects, slo-mo drum ‘n’ bass beats, and bubbling vocal samples.
Body Music feels much faster than it actually is. Drawing from UK funky, dubstep and other uptempo genres, Reid slows down their rhythms while maintaining their restlessness and upping their melodiousness; only speed-garage flashback “Lost & Found” breaks a genuine sweat. The rest suggests a club while holding you in an armchair.
-
EMUSIC-02B3D89Bon August 10, 2013 at 4:52 am said: I heard them tonight on Jools Holland and I was delighted actually. I really enjoyed their performance.
