Album Review: AlunaGeorge – I Remember
2 min read
AlunaGeorge is the electronic music duo from London, featuring the talents of Aluna Francis, vocals and lyrics, and George Reid, instrumentation and production. In 2016, they release their second studio album entitled I Remember under the Interscope/Island Records label.
I Remember features an array of artists adding their own flavour to the AlunaGeorge mix, keeping it fresh. Francis and Reid felt that they were confident in their sound after the success of their debut album, Body Music, and were in a position to collaborate with some well known names in the electronic music and Hip Hop game including, Leikeli47, Dreezy, Pell, ZHU, Popcaan and Flume.
In addition to showing confidence by inviting other artists to work on their album, AlunaGeorge have matured and developed their core sound since Body Music, expanding on it and experimenting with some ‘out there’ ideas which they pull off quite well. The production in the track Heart Break Horizon stands out. They have explored a variety of textures and timbres but some how keep it cohesive and flowing. It is an exciting number in its bubbling energy, brass punctuations including a wailing trumpet at times, and marching band sounding breaks. After all this textural business, your ears and soul are then soothed in the mellow acoustic guitar bridge with Francis’s sultry voice singing the melody; that is until the animated beat returns. My only criticism of this track is that the brass section’s sound in the breaks is not all that appealing, the use of the motif and the change in texture is satisfying though.
Not Above Love is another track that stood out to me, again for the interplay of texture as well as Francis’s choice of lyric’s. Her lyrics conjure playful imagery as she sings “You keep robbing my heart like a bank, no thank you, no thank you”. The opening of this track and the chorus in which she sings these lyrics are reminiscent of Amy Winehouse’s track Back To Black with its brass timbres and bouncing bass line.
The electronic music duo give their take on the R’nB , Hip Hop, Dance and Pop genres in I Remember. If you are looking for something a little lower in energy Mediator and Wanderlust are more sensual R’nB and indie-pop-tronica tracks, respectively. My Blood includes the trap stylings of ZHU. There are a number of rappers featured on this release; in the first single to be lifted off the album, I’m In Control, Jamaican DJ Popcaan raps over the Moombahton feel. The second single also titled I Remember was produced by Flume, apparent in it’s broke beat feel and in the choice of understated timbre blended together so seamlessly.
I Remember is a successful sophomore release for AlunaGeorge.
