Chromeo brought the Valentine flavor with Adult Contemporary.
Chromeo proves nothing is stopping them with their new release Adult Contemporary which comes almost 6 years after their fifth album Head Over Heels. The Grammy-nominated Canadian duo brought their well-known electronic and funk style, infusing them with groovy ’80s-inspired sounds. The album runs almost an hour-long in length, leaving the listener jamming and grooving the whole way through. The album immediately begins with a hard-hitting beat mixed with twinkling synths and a bassline straight from the ’80s, instantly provoking a reminder to check and make sure it is still the year 2024. “(I Don’t Need A) New Girl” instantly gives that smooth funk and disco vibe.
The lyrics consult more resounding sensations about a tumultuous relationship that neither party can leave and turn away from because there is still love present. The opening song is one of those songs where the production components play with a happier vibe than what the lyrics indicate. “But baby, you keep all my attention / Since you stepped in the frame / I feel like this is an education / There are new rules to the game / I don’t need a new, ooh / Girl, I feel so taken by you.” Going forward, the album follows a comparable direction throughout, with danceable funky beats that have a persistent groove all over the fifteen songs.
The second track, “Got it Good,” might be the funkiest and grooviest track on the album. The song presently enraptures you to the dance floor and gives the most upbeat and freeing sensation, adopting more of a vibrant positive tone.
The album has one featured vocalist, none other than La Roux, hailing from London and well known for their 2009 smash hit “Bulletproof.” The two duos teamed up for “Replacements,” one of the many highlights on the record. It is a very synth-heavy hard-hitting track that compliments Elly Jackson’s enchanting and hypnotizing vocals very well. It also presents glittery and scattering keys with quick synth accents, once again, taking a feeling straight out of the ’80s disco funk era – which is really what sonically summarizes the album.
Another key track is “Personal Effects,” which is complemented by a killer instrumental outro, reminiscent of early Daft Punk. In a lot of these songs, Chromeo does a very good job of letting the listener sulk and engage with the instrumentation and production of the songs, leaving several moments to pay attention to each stem that makes the song what it is. In the song “Words With You,” a first glimpse at other forms of instruments, most notably the saxophone, is used to give the essence of funk further and give some soul to the music. The song “A Cut Above” can be described as the first “breather” of the album. The song does not follow the same structure as the others, as it is the first rather mellow cut with a vibe that is more downtempo and chill than the rest of the high-energy tracks.
This then leads to the final track, another downtempo song that can be described as a classic-style closer. The production is more minimal but also dragged out. This gives the comparable emotion of a party inevitably being over and having the opportunity to get together and go home.
A lot of what electronic/dance music appears to be lacking these days is captured in what Chromeo was able to do with this album. After all these years of collaborating on music, they still brought the hits and the positive vibes. It is a true testament to their skill as a duo. With this release, it is evident that nothing is getting in their way and slowing them down.
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