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It must be a pretty good time to be a music producer. Not only are Timbaland, Pharrell and Mark Ronson sought after producers and instrumentalists but they're also bona fide stars in their own right, each having released successful solo albums.
Of course, by the very nature of their job, they haven't done this alone, each one employing a myriad of guest vocalists to collaborate, add some spice or (in Mark Ronson's case) add some well needed personality. Producer and one half of The Bird And The Bee Greg Kurstin may not have the profile of his counterparts but he certainly has the CV, having worked with everyone from Peaches to Britney Spears to Beck to Sia.
So who is the 'bird' in this particular musical duo? Inara George first met Kurstin after they were introduced by a mutual friend and the pair quickly entered the studio to indulge their mutual love of jazz and '60s Tropicalia. They've since released one full- length album and a handful of EPs, their career trajectory hampered somewhat by Kurstin's continued success.
Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future (ah, that title!) ditches any remaining jazz pretensions in favour of a somewhat unsurprising electropop sheen. In fact, on first listen you could be mistaken for thinking you had stumbled upon the new Lily Allen album, which Kurstin produced, but without the wit or lyrical bite. It's nearly impossible at first to shake the feeling that George is singing someone else's songs, but after repeated listens some semblance of identity breaks through the surface.
Opener My Love revolves around an infectious, clipped beat before George's sweetly melodic voice carries the song towards a gorgeous, twinkling chorus. It deserves to be a big hit, but given Ladyhawke's recent inability to shift more then roughly ten copies of her ridiculously catchy debut, it's probably best not to count your chickens.
Elsewhere, first single Love Letter To Japan makes a beeline for the radio playlists, featuring a euphoric chorus and playground-style backing vocals (complete with delicious "ho ho hos").
Kurstin, unlike say Xenomania, keeps things relatively simple, utilising studio trickery sparingly and seductively, creating lush, textured musical beds. Baby, for example, isn't so much a song as a giant music box being opened, all sprinkled keyboard rushes and string swells, whilst George even gets away with a spoken word section mid-song.
Polite Dance Song opens with a jaunty melody, rolling drums and some cheeky lyrics ("Just show a little bit of brain"), before handclaps, layered backing vocals and what sounds like a car horn pile in for an almighty climax.
It's not all good though. The grating Diamond Dave and You're A Cad would have been rejected by Lily Allen for being too nauseatingly bouncy, whilst Ray Gun and Meteor are adequate but hardly jaw-dropping.
Overall though, Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future is an inventive, forward-thinking pop record. It's not a record to dissect or fall in love with, but rather a diverting, casual listen that brightens up the best part of an hour. Kurstin may never become a household name a la Ronson, but with The Bird And The Bee he's got a pretty impressive hobby.
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