Peggy Gou - I Hear You

Without a doubt, since the mid 2010’s, Peggy Gou has become one of dance music’s biggest names, bolstered by a run of stellar EPs and the Glasto 2017 ‘Peggy Shoe’ craze. Since then, these releases’ airily zestful tracks - including ‘Starry Night’, ‘It Makes You Forget’, and 2023 earworm ‘It Goes Like (Nanana)’ - have become widely recognised iconic tunes. Now comes her long-awaited debut album, ‘I Hear You’. It’s self-confessedly ‘90s-infused and, besides the contemplative opener ‘Your Art’, ‘Back To One’ and ‘I Believe In Love Again’ make noticeable nods to the era. Moving onwards into the Balearic, beat-driven ‘All That’, we start to hear more of Gou’s signature sound, and ‘Seoulsi Peggygou (서울시페기구)’ acts as a housey, acid-infused crux point. ‘Purple Horizon’ harks back to the sun-drenched waviness of Happy Mondays and Primal Scream, meanwhile the vibrant keys and elevating trance of closer ‘1+1=11’ makes for a swelling banger that aptly ties up the album’s build. 

Throughout ‘I Hear You’, there’s a clear intention to create something beyond what Peggy Gou is typically renowned for, yet it doesn’t always quite hit. The album has been intentionally crafted to venture into new areas of inspiration, largely realised via the nostalgic sounds of the ‘90s, yet instead of creating something potently new and novel, these efforts often land slightly flat. ‘I Hear You’ is a well-produced, accessible, record that no doubt will get people moving. As to whether it will stand the test of time, let’s hope ‘It Makes You Forget’ doesn’t also act as a premonition.