Released:
Rating: ★★★★
After nearly a decade of making music as one half of electronic duo AlunaGeorge, Aluna Francis is going it alone on her debut solo album ‘Renaissance’.
The first half of the record feels like an honouring of Aluna’s roots in electronic music, but not in the conventional sense. ‘Warrior’ and ‘Sneak’ glisten with nu-disco grooves, and the euphoric ‘Ain’t My Business’ takes the reins on where UK garage should be in 2020. Not only does ‘Renaissance’ capture different moods and feelings, it also shows off Aluna’s vocal range like never before, as on the anthemic pop ballad ‘Envious’.
Though the whole record feels exploratory, the second half feels even more so. There’s the gorgeous ‘The Recipe’ where neo-soul and dancehall marry, afrobeat stylings on ‘Back Up’ and ‘Pressure, and ska on ‘Surrender’. Each track is as bold, ambitious and kaleidoscopic as the last.
Standing at an impressive 14 tracks, Aluna rips up the rule book on ‘Renaissance’ and shows anything is possible when you march to the beat of your own drum.
Jasleen Dhindsa
