Body Music

Having entered 2013 on a surging tide of momentum and ever-growing hype with each revolution of the snowball, AlunaGeorge – the London-based R&B sandwich (surnamed Francis and Reid, respectively) – are now finally coming to ground with their full-length debut Body Music.

They’ve timed their descent in the midst of festival-season perfectly; a circumstance characteristic of a carefully-orchestrated gestation period for the release. Dropping singles and EPs on almost quarterly-basis for the last two years, they’ve allowed time for their self-consciously ’90s-influenced but distinctively forward-thinking fusion of pop, garage and R&B to coalesce. In addition, they’ve further made a name for themselves with some choice remixes and features with acts of similar effervescent acclaim (namely Rustie and Disclosure). All such assets allude to a band with both a clear sense of identity and a burning desire to get things right, armed with their music and lessons learned from having their fingers burned in their past. The hype is earned, and now the pressure is on the final delivery in the midst of these long, warm summer nights.

Before tucking into the album, however, such preparations already appear to have missed a crucial step: the initial presentation of the track-list may well set alarm bells ringing. Stacking their three preceding singles and calling-cards (namely, ‘You Know You Like It’, ‘Attracting Flies’, ‘Your Drums, Your Love’) back-to-back in the first four tracks is certainly no cardinal sin, but it reeks of the kind of top-loading that at the very least indicates pacing mismanagement, and all-too-often demarcates a dearth of quality elsewhere.

Yet, on digestion, a strange paradox occurs. Whilst these initial fears somewhat prove to be the case – undeniably, the summits of those three peaks are never quite reached again – the quality of those tracks is so high that the slightly lesser nature of the remainders are alleviated. ‘You Know You Like It’ is sublime: those bass throbs, cymbal snaps and vocal coos still sound as fresh as they did on first landing in 2011. ‘Attracting Flies’ fizzes and pops magnificently; the underlying clinking percussion which kicks in from the first pre-chorus operates as the secret ingredient, ensuring that the song continues to worm its way deep inside your brain long after its runtime is through. On top of this are Francis’ satisfyingly snarky ripostes to the poser with the titular characteristic: a delicious lyrical contrast to the dominant romantic themes of the record.

Despite the star potential oozing from every pore of Aluna Francis,  it is ultimately the production which remains the absolute stand-out aspect of Body Music.

It is the final salvo of the opening triumvirate, ‘Your Drums, Your Love’, which stands as the crowning achievement. Packed with all kinds of woozy bliss – from the pitch-shifted intro that recurs at key junctures, the verses which meld old-school Theme Hospital-esque synth-lines with contemporary break-beats, and a perfectly structured build into a timelessly captivating chorus – it’s good enough to be regarded as one of the songs of this year as well as last.

Outside of these deservingly ubiquitous singles, Body Music makes you work a bit harder for your thrills. Opener ‘Outlines’ is gorgeous – a down-tempo, beautifully delivered rumination on love and loss. The heartbroken chorus (“I can’t help but chasing these outlines of you”) is a particular highlight of the album, capturing the fear that time doesn’t always heal all wounds, and a sense of heavy absence compounded by sounds, stories and symbols: the last semblance of a life or love formerly known. But perhaps for that very reason, it feels like a strange choice of opener. Love is a dominant thematic concern of the album, but opening with the track that possesses the lowest mood of their reflections upon it feels incongruous, particularly when the bubbling and empowered ‘You Know You Like It’ kicks in immediately after.

Elsewhere, several tracks lean towards serviceable rather than vigorous. Initially captivating touches and musical notions do tend to go astray, or grow a little worn out by the close, particularly on ‘Bad Idea’, and the album’s title track. Both cuts lack that extra element – a definitive tempo-change or hook to firmly elevate them to the domain inhabited by AlunaGeorge’s stellar precedents.

Throughout Body Music, Francis’ syrupy, seductive timbre to her vocals – at their most supreme on the elegant, sophisticated ‘Best Be Believing’ – are an absolute treat, demarcating her as a real talent, and one both confident and distinctive among the plethora of female pop-stars who’ve risen to prominence this decade. Nevertheless, despite the star-potential oozing from every pore of Francis, it is ultimately the production which remains the absolute stand-out aspect of this record.

Even when the album loses its way structurally or lyrically – typified by the amusingly odd earnestness and inadvertent belittlement of ‘Superstar’ – Reid ensures that there will always be a Timbaland-esque production idiosyncrasy or quirk waiting around the corner. Those underlying textures and beats (bubbles popping, witty melodic echoes, Nintendocore chirps) are the sonic cocktail which firmly bolsters AlunaGeorge in comparison to their competitors. As such, their sound is kept eminently appealing, even (and especially) when their songs are not always as consistently refined, original or essential as the duo are more than capable of.

Similar To: Aaliyah, Disclosure

MP3: ‘Your Drums, Your Love’, ‘Attracting Flies’, ‘Outlines’