By Ella White
Before embarking on the journey that was reviewing Labrinth’s Electronic Earth I had two reservations in mind.
First was that I never wanted to hear Let The Sun Shine again, as its incessant drone still rings throughout all memories of summer 2011.
Second was that, like so many chart albums these days, it was going to be obvious that Electronic Earth would carry itself on two or three catchy floor-fillers – Earthquake having already reserved itself one of those spots – and the rest would just be generic album fillers to blend into the background no matter how many times they are played.
Pass it over
Having risen to fame with his appearance on Tinie Tempah’s Pass Out two years ago, Electronic Earth is Labrinth’s long anticipated debut solo album. Such a long production period puts high hopes upon the producer/singer/songwriter, and to my surprise, his hard work has paid off.
Earthquake is undoubtedly a stand out track, but for those of you thinking it would be the backbone of the whole album – think again. As Electronic Earth skipped from one catchy tune to the next, I braced myself for the predictable ballad. But this one caught me by surprise.
If I sign up for an upbeat pop album, a whiney, clichéd ballad is a sure-fire way to destroy the vibe, but if you are going to do it, follow Labrinth’s lead and do it properly. These days there is no better way to tackle a ballad than bringing in the likes of Emeli Sandé.
It seems that Sandé can do no wrong since the release of her debut single Heaven, and her collaboration with Labrinth has made the song, entitled Beneath You’re Beautiful, set for chart-topping success, and shows off Labrinth’s talent as a singer as well as a rapper.
Tip offs for up and coming club anthems are Sweet Riot and the drum ‘n’ bass influenced Climb On Board.