SG Lewis - times [LP Review]

When I first listened to SG Lewis’ new album ‘times’, it floored me. Each song is oozing with nostalgia, not just for the disco era (which you can hear in quite a few of the tracks) but also for the pre-COVID era parties.

‘times’ flows like the most exciting party you’ve ever been to and it reminds you of how you felt at the beginning of the night, on the dance floor and in the morning, when you’re watching the sunrise. It’s a blissful collection of songs that just makes you want to relive those days and live life without limits. To create memories you’ll treasure for years to come.

‘Time’ opens the album with a groovy melody and light vocals courtesy of Rhye. Sharp percussion, chopped samples and smooth atmospherics all create an energetic and sustainable vibe. There’s a hopefulness to the track, which makes it a perfect opener for ‘times’.

The next track, ‘Feel The Fire’ is driven by its solid bass line and gentle synths, with twisting samples adding extra texture to the melody. It’s funky, it’s sharp and Lucky Daye’s vocals tie everything together in an incredibly fun package. While ‘Feel The Fire’ has an undeniable swagger, the next track ’Back To Earth’, feels more like an ethereal dance dream. Light whistle tones dance over the bass line and echoing samples create a ghostly element to the production. It’s a more gentle track, but it’s still just as infectious as its predecessor.

On ‘One More’, you can hear the influence of Nile Rodgers, legendary guitarist of Chic. The song is full of 70’s flair, with Nile’s iconic guitars sliding over deep synths, vibrant bursts and energetic vocals. The energy lifts on ‘One More’ before it suddenly dips again on ‘Heartbreak On The Dancefloor’.

‘Heartbreak On The Dancefloor’ has a more minimalist construction with scattered percussion bouncing over the bass and twinkling samples dancing within the chorus. There’s a real sense of ease on this track that’s driven by Frances’ delicate vocals. The song flows so well with every element balancing each other out before the album suddenly takes a turn.

After hearing a lot of songs that remind you of the beginning and middle of a great party, ‘Rosner’s Interlude’ introduces the end. This is the part where you’re feeling relaxed and are ready to watch the sun come up with your friends. The heavy disco influence disappears and instead, we’re preparing for tracks with dance-infused pop. The melody of ‘Rosner’s Interlude’ slowly rises, before it blends seamlessly into the album’s next track, ‘Chemicals’.

This is one of my favourite tracks on ‘times’ simply because of how vibrant it is. ‘Chemicals’ leans into a more electronic space as the synths are more prominent. The crunchy bass line swims through humming atmospherics creating a bright summer scene in your mind. It’s a really fun track and this energy is kept up as the song flows into ‘Impact’, a powerful club jam.

Buzzing synths, crisp samples and swirling atmospherics all dance around the infectious beat and create an undeniably fun vibe. This, in my opinion, was one of the most exciting tracks released in 2019. Each piece of the production just adds to its overwhelming power and the vocals from Robyn and Channel Tres just make the track feel so much more impeccable.

After ‘Impact’, we move into ‘All We Have’, an ethereal track featuring vocals from Lastlings. This track brings the vibe down a notch and takes the album back into a more dream-like space. The vocals float softly alongside the light beat as samples drip down the melody like water droplets. It really blends the styles of SG Lewis and Lastlings together. It brings together sharp accents with a glossy base and creates something completely enticing.

Finally, bringing ‘times’ to a close is ‘Fall’. Distorted guitars and spacious synths take charge here with tranquil vocals being uplifted with angelic harmonies. It’s a gentle closer to an album that truly shows off SG Lewis’ ability to build unforgettable tracks.

SG Lewis has put together an incredibly exciting album. Every song on ‘times’ leaves a mark on you and just fills you with joy. This is an album you want to listen to all the time because it brings up so many amazing memories and urges you to create new ones when you can.