_edited.png)
8.8/10
English dance-pop artist Jesse Ware has come through with a new and tight ten-track project 'That! Feels Good!'. Jessie initially caught my ears with a single released earlier in the year titled "Pearls", which is a track containing a dope instrumental, powerful vocals, and confident carefree lyrics. My hopes were fairly high going into the project, and they were very much met.
The album opens up with the surprising breathy moans on the title track "That! Feels Good!", quickly going into a super catchy chorus and groovy beat. Jessie's flow and vocal delivery on here reminds me of Silk Sonic, and I love the flavor the bassline adds and the saxophone lays down at the end. The excitement from the opener is kept with the following track "Free Yourself", a pleasant and lowkey feel-good dance track. The drums are really light but make you want to move.
Compared to the upbeat and dancey start, the middle of the album contains some slower grooves, such as "Hello Love" and "Begin Again". "Hello Love" is a beautifully groovy cut, with gorgeous vocal harmonies all-around and so many beautiful instrumental layers. "Begin Again" contains a hypnotic and almost haunting melody, and the vocals are mixed to fill up the track delightfully. I love how the instrumental really comes to life during the chorus.
The energy picks up once again with "Beautiful People", a more minimalistic track compared to the last two, but still very solid. The lyrics are great, with Jessie talking about appreciating people, going out, and being part of communities. It's greatly uplifting and positive to listen. "Freak Me Now" keeps the energy going, a track with a solid bassline and a beat I could one hundred percent picture being played in a club. Although it doesn't offer up much lyrically, it's a great track to dance to. "Shake The Bottle" is a track with stand-out production, with fun touches of real bottle sounds. The self-confidence in the lyrics is great, with Jessie having fun and not caring, saying that she leaves men "faster than they come"; a nice double entendre.
"Lightning" was the first track I felt meh about. I enjoyed the melancholy synth in the beginning but became quite bored as it's a lowkey track with nothing too diverting; it's a fine track to vibe to. I feel like the fade-out ending is a bit awkward. "These Lips", the closing track, thankfully picks the vibe up again, with a great instrumental containing horns that have so much personality, groovy drums, and great vocal incorporations from Jessie.
My first Jessie Ware album was an experience to remember and was a great refresher after listening to so much sad and gloomy projects. Jessie Ware is still a fairly new name in the industry, with her debut released in 2012 and three million listeners on Spotify. If she keeps making projects like this, she'll be up there with household names in no time.
Commentaires