Posted by SG Lewis was the perfect poster boy, new kid on the block in 2020. His hit single ‘Chemicals’ was a lockdown-breaking soundtrack-making, Radio-1-baiting, funk electro-pop one man superstar tune which took over every homes’ Alexa last year; bringing some much-needed light to our boring abodes.
Now in 2021, Samuel George Lewis unveils his debut album ‘Times’, after a slew of loveable collaborative singles. Whilst this LP doesn’t break any new grounds or shatter any glass ceilings, it does bring is a beautiful blend of house, electro-pop and funk, culminating to astoundingly enjoyable heights and sparkly moments that would make even the biggest metal-music-elitist bright-eyed and giddy.
Beautifully bouncy basslines and an overall lo-fi vibe make songs like opener ‘Time’ featuring Rhye and ‘Feed The Fire’ bombastically brilliant. The further you delve into the tracklist, the more ‘Times’ will make you miss the sweaty dancefloor of a New York disco. Even if you were too young to grace the scene, tracks like ‘One More’ featuring disco king Nile Rodgers will make you feel like you are busting some moves in mustard flares in 1970’s Harlem all from the comfort of your spiderman PJ’s.
In fact, all of ‘Times’ makes you feel like you have peaked your head trough a slew of ominously funky time loops, each stopping off at a different era of dance to let you bathe in the warm shower of nostalgia. A highlight of this time-hopping antics comes in the form of Impact featuring Robyn and Channel Tres, sounding so beautifully 1990s it might as well have a bucket hat on.
Unfortunately, ‘Times’ by SG Lewis manages to cerement its own feet and chuck itself into the nearest river with a completely underwhelming end. Lewis’ debut record could have gone down as a super cute, must-have for any electro indie-pop fans record collection. But the inclusion of the underwhelming penultimate track ‘All We Have’ and the mind-numbingly boring final song ‘Fall’, tarnish a full listen to what is otherwise a great album.
8/10
Words: Mason Meyers
– – –
– – –
Join us on the ad-free creative social network Vero, as we get under the skin of global cultural happenings. Follow Clash Magazine as we skip merrily between clubs, concerts, interviews and photo shoots. Get backstage sneak peeks, exclusive content and access to Clash Live events and a true view into our world as the fun and games unfold.