Georgia, Seeking Thrills - album review
The great British electronic revolution continues, and this time it's Georgia who has brought her own slice of the party to lift everyone's ears in these dark wintry days.
Last year Self Esteem and Charli XCX held the torch for this melodic, euphoric corner of the musical spectrum, and there's a new year changing of the guard for someone else to provide dancefloor fillers for summer party lovers.
Georgia was probably always destined for this given her father is Leftfield's Neil Banks, and she has contributed to their output previously. She also drums, and includes Kate Tempest as a former employer in that category.
And her love of drums shines through in many of the big beats present here. In stark contrast are her soft, understated vocals which calm you amid the flurry of activity around them.
There's the single About Work The Dancefloor which could have almost seamlessly fitted into the beautifully electro soundtrack to the Ryan Gosling cult hit movie Drive. Those rising and falling synths throughout the chorus are simplicity personified - proof that music doesn't have to be tearing up templates to resonate. The backing beats are pretty special too.
Mellow, featuring Shygirl, is a treat of an altogether different nature. Oozing angst and sass, those deep, lo-fi beats provide the perfect sounding pad for both artists to provide their almost-spoken word delivery in deceptively angered tones.
There's also the exceptional Feel It, which could be the record's highlight - and there's a few to choose from. The extended intro sounds a bit like that Mason vs Princess Superstar hit Perfect (Exceeder) from a few years back. Then the beats kick in and suddenly we have a reverberating, pulsating number that builds nicely to the upbeat chorus in which Georgia really lets loose with her vocals - the screeched entry to this is powerful.
That screech, coupled with other elements of the record, show Georgia is having fun here too. Ray Guns is another track where that sense of enjoyment shines through in that big chorus, while The Thrill - featuring Maurice - is one of the real genre and decade-straddling tracks nestled within that pays homage to the big female stars of the 80s. Is it too far to say the polishing of Georgia's vocals have a real Kate Bush vibe?
There's also a bit of an Easter egg in the artwork too, using an image by influential American documentary and portrait photographer Nancy Honey.
If this is 2020's British dance culture to come, then we can't wait to lap it up.
Rating: 8/10
Georgia will play Birmingham's Mama Roux's on March 10
