Starting the new decade with a throwback, Seeking Thrills, the sophomore album from Georgia, feels like an ode to the ‘80s, while at the same time feeling thoroughly modern.
The album combines various styles, incorporating synth and electronic sounds of '80s pop alongside house and dub reggae genres. From this you might think the album lacks cohesion, but that is far from the case, instead giving the album a distinctive sound and a timeless quality which sets it apart from other pop music today.
Much of the album could be said to follow in the footsteps of Robyn, and you could be forgiven for momentarily mistaking 'Ray Guns' for an M.I.A song. Yet somehow the singer and producer pulls it off, expertly combining these influences to forge her own unique style.
Alongside the chart bops of ‘About Work the Dancefloor’ and ‘24 hours’ — her latest single — there is a diverse range of tracks. ‘Honey Dripping Sky’ oozes with the hedonism that encapsulates the whole album, while ‘Ultimate Sailor’ slows things down even further to the point of feeling ethereal.
‘Started Out’ captures the exuberant personality of both the singer and album of a whole. There is an intoxicating sense of promise in the hook ‘We are wicked young fools so behave now’ and its following refrain ‘be wicked and bold’.
My only issue with the album is how the more upbeat, catchier songs — especially those that have been released as singles — overshadow the more slow and subdued tracks. At first listen you may just write them off, but on closer listening these ethereal, contemplative tracks are some of the most impressive. Of course Georgia is certainly not alone in this, and in no way does it diminish what she has achieved.
Seeking Thrills is not only a hedonistic throwback, but an experimentation both in, and against, modern pop. By experimenting in this way Georgia not only finds her own voice but really gets to the heart of want we from pop music. This album is about having fun and, as it is aptly named, seeking thrills.
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