Originally posted on Noise Cannon: http://noisecannon.com/2015/12/15/noise-of-the-year-2015/
With a subdued personality comes a powerful album and this is one that’s all about the music; every little bit, whether it’s original or a blend of samples, matters. Opening with ‘Gosh’, this album hits you with a repetitive beat and you’re not sure where it’s taking you. It then develops in to a huge moment of ecstasy as it moves into a zone of ethereal tones, making you feel as though you’ve entered into another world. The feel good energy of ‘I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)’, featuring Popcaan and Young Thug adds a fun loving flavour to the album that no one ever expected. Then again, did anyone really know what to expect from the first full length release from Jamie Smith, the quiet one from The xx? Tracks like ‘Girl’ and ‘Sleep Sound’ surely laid the foundations, nevertheless, In Colour went far and beyond these tracks, even mixing up ‘Sleep Sound’ a little so as to create a seamless transition in the track-listing.
This album has a club night vibe, from the highs to the lows, with ‘Loud Places’ (featuring Romy, The xx) sitting in the middle of moody and energetic. What Smith did when making this album was extremely clever – creating a sound to play with live, to amp the bass and mix it up with greater definition and feeling, so that when you go to listen to it again it means so much more. Highly anticipated with many teases in the run up to the release, the hype around this album was built up to no end, and thankfully, it was well worth the wait.
SAMANTHA MAE 