Jessie Ware - Devotion (9.0/10)

The is something I really love about melodic and understated pop music & provided it's well produced then the concept of it alone is probably enough to carry it to a seal of approval. Devotion is such an album & after hearing 'Wildest Moments' & 'Running', which sounded like instant classics to these ears, I was already expecting this album to meet my expectations. So the question I have to ask is does it exceed my expectations & once again the answer to this question would be a resounding yes. As said earlier in the review 'Wildest Moments' & 'Running' are both the sort of instant classics that most musicians could only dream of having with their strong hooks, strong performance & incredible production the really isn't a single thing you cannot like about those songs. But it's also the sheer amount of other songs on this album that also reach the dizzying heights of 'Wildest Moment' & 'Running' which really took me aback, for example '110%' is a more upbeat song with lush chorus but all achieved without really ever hitting the volume dial; the energy and melody carries song so as a result it never really needs to, and 'Something Inside' is an incredibly beautiful song with some fantastic melodies and harmonies in the chorus.... hell even the bonus track 'Strangest Feeling' is the sort of track that would normally stand head and shoulders above the rest of it's contemporaries. The vocals on this album are really top notch and accompany the understated melodies and use of instrumentation incredibly well, the vocals are definitely at the forefront & are generally significantly louder then the music the accompanies it, but such is the strength of the instrumentation you will remember and pay equal attention to both. 'Devotion' does bog down a little bit in the middle, the highs are not quite as high and the themes become slightly repetitive but this is something I found become less of an issue on repeat listen & I eventually found it serves as a reliable bridge between the start and the end of the album. Some people may say think this album is a bit 'Radio 2' or 'MOR' for them but for me I think this is an incredibly well crafted album with some of the most memorable songs you're likely to hear this year; it's clever, it's catchy, it's memorable & as far as I'm concerned it has all the makings of an instant classic.

Five of the best: March 2012

Xiu Xiu - Always

Guess this could be called Xiu Xiu's pop album? I personally think this is their most accessible record to date but it doesn't compromise on the miserable lyrics and the brilliantly disturbed track 'I Luv Abortions' will stop you yelling 'Sell Out' anytime soon.

Soap&Skin - Narrow

This album is just constantly beautiful & heartfelt and hosts a good number of tear jerkers, whether it be her incredible rendition of 80s Cheese pop 'Voyage Voyage' or the stunning 'Wonder' this album quickly becomes compulsive listening, the only downside is that it's too short, I highly recommend it.

Burial - Kindred

This EP is arguably the best thing Burial has put out, it carries his trademark sound into damned approachable territory here and it certainly has a lot more going on sonically then the previously sparse outings. The track 'Ashtray Wasp' is a particular stand out for me and takes you threw one hell of a journey threw it's 11 minutes but the fact that can be said about all 3 any of the 3 tracks found here is a real testament to how good this thing is.

Hawk Eyes - Ideas

This album is what would most likely happen if QOTSA of 2001 decided to add interesting time signatures to their music & yes it's most definitely rocks & rocks hard it most certainly does. This album is the sort that keeps you on your toes whilst you do all of that head banging & some of the riffs are very much worthy of some devil horns.

Kap Bambino - Devotion

Goes on the principle that distorted synths should only really make you dance and sway this album delivers plenty of incredibly catchy, noisy and pounding dance numbers. Very similar in sound to Crystal Castles in many ways only perhaps a little bit more melodic, whilst being that little bit noisier, this album is best played loud and proud.