Carly Rae Jepsen – E•MO•TION (2015)
Enlisting the likes of Dev Hynes, celebrated Taylor Swift producer Shellback and Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij among many others, Carly Rae Jepsen and co. have crafted an infectiously catchy record in E•MO•TION, faithfully honouring the synthwave and sophisti-pop sounds of yesterday while in turn sounding modern and sincere. The result is a collection of sugar-coated synthpop completely lacking in pretension, brimming with earnestness and, perhaps most importantly, unapologetically FUN; title track “E•MO•TION” soars thanks to its vibrantly layered percolating synths while the Sia-penned break-up anthem “Boy Problems” kicks off with an impeccably funky bassline before providing one of the album’s most rousing choruses. While E•MO•TION’s A-side is virtually irreproachable, late tracks “LA Hallucinations” and “Warm Blood” prove particularly unremarkable, the latter seemingly lurching endlessly in search of a hook. If Jepsen and co. don’t exactly stick the landing, they’ve nonetheless provided one of the year’s most convincing arguments for mainstream pop in E•MO•TION. Nearly four years after “Call Me Maybe” burrowed its way deep into our minds, Carly Rae has done it again.
Trial Track: “E•MO•TION”
Rating: 7/10
