AlunaGeorge - I Remember review: ‘a mixed bag’

Aluna Francis and George Reid found themselves on all the tips lists at the start of 2013 but didn’t translate their early buzz into chart staying power.

As the pair return with a second album they’ve introduced collaborators including dance producer Flume and Jamaican singer Popcaan.

They seem torn between making electronic music so futuristic that their debut already sounds dated — as with I Remember’s cut-up vocals and the wild electronic horn sounds on Mean What I Mean — and attempting to crack the world of mainstream pop.

Hold Your Head High rivals Ellie Goulding for pretty froth, while the comparatively retro Heartbreak Horizon ups the cheese levels considerably.

The whole is a mixed bag that suggests a duo who are unsure where their strengths really lie.

(Universal/Island)