AlunaGeorge – Body Music review | #FromTheArchive
Forget Kim and Kanye. Aluna Francis and George Reid (aka AlunaGeorge) are the power couple of 2013 – whether it is a romantic relationship, as well as a creative one, is for the papz and gossip rags to ponder. Together, they’ve made an electro-pop album filled with addictive rhythms that also makes self-assured scoops at the emotional ups and downs of getting into a relationship. In a post-Girls, post-online-dating-is-socially-acceptable age, you won’t find an album that’s so 2013.
‘You Know You Like It’, the song that thrust them onto the scene and earned them a place as runner-up of the BBC Sound of 2013 list, is a playful club-belter and one of the strongest examples of the duo’s musical partnership. Backed by Reid’s house beat with a video game-esque twinkle, Francis’s airy vocals sound out, diva-like, teasing, inviting you to come closer. Intimacy is the intent and Body Music has been shaped to achieve that from head to toe.
Through her honeysuckle, estuary-accented voice, Francis charms on ‘Kaleidoscope Love’, and chastises on ‘Bad Idea’. Meanwhile, Reid’s twitchy sounds back her up throughout, with audible muscle when the time calls for attitude (‘Attracting Flies’) and unhurried comfort during her soft confessions (‘Superstar’).
The final track, ‘Friends to Lovers’, tells us all we need to know about Francis and Reid’s relationship. Whatever the reality, Body Music is a seductive affair that you should engage in.
Body Music was released on Island Records in July 2013. Aluna is currently releasing new music as a solo artist. Read more about her journey in this interview.
If you like this artist, check out: Shura, SG Lewis, Aadae
[This article was first published on aaronlee.co.uk on December 20, 2013.]
Image: Fiona Garden/PR