It’s a golden era for boundary-pushing R&B, as the kids, likely taking Cassie’s self-titled 2006 debut as their cue to get playful, look to a time when Timbaland and Aaliyah turned out fearless, mind-bending future pop and try to match it.
Sonic architect George Reid stands stage right behind his keyboard, eyes down and focused on the music, whilst singer Aluna Francis is an ebullient force, dressed in a midriff-baring top and recycling her sole dance move with abandon. There’s a distracting divide between the two and their rhythm section, who stay well back from the action, while fulfilling the necessary task of beefing up the sound for a live room with aplomb. And what material they have to work with!
‘Just A Touch’ is the opener. Aluna delivers an elastic vocal performance over a quirky, inventive beat, as hooks are piled upon hooks – they could walk offstage after five minutes and still hold their heads high. From there on, there’s little let up. ‘You Know You Like It’ is another sugar-sweet stomper, and ‘Attracting Flies’ elicits mass cheers. It’s the kind of joyous pop where even the keyboard melodies are hollered back at the band.
A cover of Montell Jordan’s 1995 hit ‘This Is How We Do It’ perfectly highlights where their pop allegiances lie. Late in the set, they pause to soak up the audience’s adoration, clearly taken aback by the sustained, approving roars and stomping of feet. They pay that reaction back in spades with a closing double whammy of ‘Your Drums, Your Love’ and ‘White Noise’: two golden tunes. Currently there’s a sameness about some of their sonic manoeuvres – but that’s to be expected when your debut album has only just landed. And, besides, there are far more hits than misses. Variety and depth will come in due course. Meantime, with AlunaGeorge leading the charge, the future of R&B looks very healthy indeed.