Tanlines - Mixed Emotions

After piercing the public consciousness with ‘Volume On’, Tanlines are back with their first album proper under the guidance of mixing engineer Jimmy Douglass (Timbaland, Roxy Music, Television). Musically we are in the tropical pop territory occupied by the likes of Friendly Fires and Vampire Weekend, a giddy amalgam of electronica, afro-beat and retro pop that is a thinking man’s dance-floor.

Where this works best is on the thrilling ‘Not The Same’, a four to the floor monster that teases like a chunkier Drake ‘Take Care’ complete with finger clicks before stripping the whole thing down to it’s bare vocal bones . ‘Nonesuch’ is equally good, a soothing electro ballad that channels the sounds of the Eighties but with a hefty dose of glitchy blips and pulses.

On the other end of the spectrum ‘Laughing’ has the makings of a strong track in it’s sun kissed percussion but has all the punch of alcohol free cocktail, drifting rudderless in and out of consciousness. Elsewhere the weirdly lo-fi ‘Green Grass’ comes over out of kilter with the slick production that marks the rest of the record.

‘Mixed Emotions’ has a track for every mood without ever sounding in the least bit forced or contrived. It could have benefitted from some more time being slimmed down in the musical gym but its lively, tropical vibe will lift the spirits. Finger clicking good.