Aluna George - Attracting Flies


Aluna George have gone a bit Katy Perry. If Perry had ‘unrivalled smooth glitch-pop beat’ tattooed on her forehead. She doesn’t, of course, but their wordplay matches well. It’s schmucky and less careful: ‘Why would I care if you want me?/ Why would I care if you don’t?’ but it feels endearing when married with a jog-pace tempo and scattered steely electronica that sounds half TEED, half Zelda circa 1997. It’s a simpler, more narrated release when exposed to the stuff that made this duo: ‘Your Drums Your Love’ and that Disclosure collab which asserted edgier first impressions. Regardless, it still feels as fresh as a mobile phone in the 90s and sounds a heck of a lot better.	Recognised – if not decorated – at February’s BRIT Awards, Aluna George’s next move is to navigate that ancient dilemma between critical and popular approval. ‘Attracting Flies’ is a shift from Aluna George’s previous glitchy experimentations – doubtless the influence of the duo’s ‘production’ half, AKA one-time math rock progenitor George Reid. Aluna Francis’s sugary vocals are now projected large. But offsetting this new-found ‘conventional’ R&B sound is Francis’s repugnance for the amoral toxicity of her interlocutor’s breath. The visceral image retaliates against the sexing-up of the human body common to the genre – declaring tension with Aluna George’s immediate ‘scene’ – and excuses to get eager about June’s Body Music.	Imagine the life of a fly. Imagine Ernie the fly. He was born in a bin. Before he was even an hour old his parents had already buzzed off in search of another stink. He ate shit for breakfast, but shit made him strong, which was good because life was tough in the can. Ernie didn’t want to just be another maggot. Ernie was a fly motherfucker. Eventually he flew the poop; leaving his tin abode far behind him. He saw more than any other fly ever saw our Ernie did, certainly more than I can write in this short space. He travelled from bin to bin until he settled down with a flylita he met on the road; in a pile of sick. She was good to him. They had a several hundred larvae of their own. They were happy. At the grand old age of 1 month Ernie surrounded by his offwing and his beloved flylita died. He is gone but not forgotten. R.I.P Ernie. Just as with Ernie there is a definite buzz around AlunaGeorge. ‘Attracting Flies’ has a memorable little synth line, a neat beat and sharp enough lyrics to make it a track which will keep that hype ball rolling with a little more pace.

Aluna George have gone a bit Katy Perry. If Perry had ‘unrivalled smooth glitch-pop beat’ tattooed on her forehead. She doesn’t, of course, but their wordplay matches well. It’s schmucky and less careful: ‘Why would I care if you want me?/ Why would I care if you don’t?’ but it feels endearing when married with a jog-pace tempo and scattered steely electronica that sounds half TEED, half Zelda circa 1997.

It’s a simpler, more narrated release when exposed to the stuff that made this duo: ‘Your Drums Your Love’ and that Disclosure collab which asserted edgier first impressions.

Regardless, it still feels as fresh as a mobile phone in the 90s and sounds a heck of a lot better.

Recognised – if not decorated – at February’s BRIT Awards, Aluna George’s next move is to navigate that ancient dilemma between critical and popular approval.

‘Attracting Flies’ is a shift from Aluna George’s previous glitchy experimentations – doubtless the influence of the duo’s ‘production’ half, AKA one-time math rock progenitor George Reid.

Aluna Francis’s sugary vocals are now projected large. But offsetting this new-found ‘conventional’ R&B sound is Francis’s repugnance for the amoral toxicity of her interlocutor’s breath.

The visceral image retaliates against the sexing-up of the human body common to the genre – declaring tension with Aluna George’s immediate ‘scene’ – and excuses to get eager about June’s Body Music.

Imagine the life of a fly. Imagine Ernie the fly. He was born in a bin. Before he was even an hour old his parents had already buzzed off in search of another stink. He ate shit for breakfast, but shit made him strong, which was good because life was tough in the can. Ernie didn’t want to just be another maggot. Ernie was a fly motherfucker.

Eventually he flew the poop; leaving his tin abode far behind him. He saw more than any other fly ever saw our Ernie did, certainly more than I can write in this short space. He travelled from bin to bin until he settled down with a flylita he met on the road; in a pile of sick. She was good to him. They had a several hundred larvae of their own. They were happy. At the grand old age of 1 month Ernie surrounded by his offwing and his beloved flylita died. He is gone but not forgotten. R.I.P Ernie.

Just as with Ernie there is a definite buzz around AlunaGeorge. ‘Attracting Flies’ has a memorable little synth line, a neat beat and sharp enough lyrics to make it a track which will keep that hype ball rolling with a little more pace.

Aluna George – Attracting Flies

17 Mar 13