What's Your Pleasure? - Jessie Ware: Review
is a British pop singer who emerged in the first half of the 2010's with a mature pop sound that resulted in her critically acclaimed debut Devotion. Over her next two records she slowed her music down to a more ballad focused approach and her fan base kind of shifted. But What's Your Pleasure? signified a massive change of pace with its singles, and the result is an 80's inspired pop throwback.
Review By Lavender:
Since day 1 I have been a bigger fan of Jessie Ware than your average pop music listener or music reviewer. Even as her music slowed down on records like Glasshouse as she slowed her sound down I was still enjoying a lot of what she had to say and the gravity of her performances. Even with this in mind I was really excited to dive into this record after almost every single song I heard going into it was a huge hit. And the result isn't quite far off that, with near constant highlights and very few true duds this is one of the best contemporary pop albums you'll hear this year.
Since day 1 I have been a bigger fan of Jessie Ware than your average pop music listener or music reviewer. Even as her music slowed down on records like Glasshouse as she slowed her sound down I was still enjoying a lot of what she had to say and the gravity of her performances. Even with this in mind I was really excited to dive into this record after almost every single song I heard going into it was a huge hit. And the result isn't quite far off that, with near constant highlights and very few true duds this is one of the best contemporary pop albums you'll hear this year.
This album gets off to an absolutely ridiculous start which features three of my favorite singles over its first five tracks. Spotlight is the opener and it starts off like a grand ballad before kicking off with an insanely catchy and tight groove. The hook is absolute perfection and the song is a great driving way to start the record off that sets the tone for the entire rest of the album in its wake. Next up is the title track What's Your Pleasure? features an even punchier darker beat with breathy and intimate vocals but they really do the trick. The song features a dancefloor beat and wiggly synth explosion that dominates the song in a way I adore. Ooh La La was another single I loved and it has so much stuff going for it. The slick bassline is amazing and the hook is amazing and Jessie's tender but firm vocals are amazing the whole thing is just amazing. This is the slightly scandalous groovy pop anthem that I am LIVING for.
Soul Control features some very thin keys as the songs main instrument but honestly they work really well even when paired with Jessie's strong vocals. Even though I don't think it's my favorite hook on the album it is still sticky as hell nonetheless. Save A Kiss was another single and it features a futuristic beat paired with some of the most romantic lyrics on the record. The hook reminds me a ton of Robyn with a graceful huge crescendo followed by a driving breakdown that I really love an it makes for another excellent track. There is a bit of a dip in the record but the highlights resume late on. Read My Lips is another great track but this time the instrumental takes a backseat while Jessie completely takes over with amazing vocals. She gives a sensual wonderful performances highlighted by the tracks title refrain on the hook which makes for yet another incredibly memorable moment.
The set of tracks that close off the record is also great starting with Step Into My Life is one of the less dynamic and driving tracks here but it also features an instantly sticky hook. The track has a solid instrumental and catchy songwriting which is pretty much the benchmark of the entire album. Mirage came out as a single last year and I like it even more within the context of the record. The track lives 100% on the dancefloor with its slick vocal samples and rattling percussion. All of this is put over a driving disco beat that Jessie matches with some vocal repetition serving its purpose as one of the songs marquee dance cuts. The Kill is another low stakes love song that is pretty immediately sweet on the ears with a great pairing of percussion and keys. It doesn't do anything too crazy that isn't on the rest of the record but it makes for a really solid deep cut here.
I have to specifically call out the records closing track which blindsided me with just how ridiculously good it is. Remember Where You Are is a fucking amazing closer that may be my favorite song on the entire record. It is so dramatic and driving with an instrumental that features absolutely heavenly keys that just rise and rise. Everything feels like it is about to totally ascend to a higher plane when the hook kicks off with the lead vocals calling out "The heart of the city is on fire" for an absolutely incredible closer.
Rarely does this record let me down but one of the only places it does is weirdly enough on the lead single Adore You. The track is a breathy love song and not one of the strongest on here. It spends a lot of time in relative limbo because the hook tends to just drag on and on. Even though the songwriting isn't perfect I do think the instrumental is once again solid. The only other song I didn't love was In Your Eyes which has all the makings of a song just as good as everything else here but it sells itself short. After a really compelling build through the verse and pre-chorus the track just settles for a chill and smooth hook that is tolerable but not nearly as exciting as the rest of these hooks.
What's Your Pleasure? is an excellent record that I haven't been able to stop listening to since it came out and I don't think I'll be slowing down any time soon. Jessie's always mature pop sensibilities have translated incredibly smoothly into a set of throwback pop tunes that evoke not only a powerful nostalgia but also have a foundation of great songwriting at their core. I think you'll be hard pressed to find another record in 2020 that will come at you with a selection of tracks so accessible and instantly gratifying that also holds up to one listen after another. Jessie and her producers have topped an already very high bar and crafted the best record of her career to date. 8.5/10
Album Cover Review By Tyler Judson: This is a nice cover. While it's not super impactful it still has something that draws you to it, like it's a very intimate moment. It gives me the same feeling as the Warhol Polaroids and has a vintage quality. The only thing I don't understand is why they chose to keep the strips on both sides and could've put the title on the image in that blank space instead, since they chose not to I would've removes the entirety of the right bar amd centered the portrait in that space. 6/10
For more pop check out my review of Lady Gaga's Chromatica here
