Renaissance

Many fans first met Aluna through AlunaGeorge, the London electronic duo she formed with George Reid. On Renaissance, the singer-songwriter and producer strikes out on her own with a collection of brightly hued electro-pop that bewitches as it evolves. From the outset, the album is nothing but bottled ecstasy. “I've Been Starting to Love All the Things I Hate,” the opening track, is a triumphant blast of optimism in the face of adversity: “Throw it all out, it's a new day/Doesn't matter if you can't, do it anyway,” she urges in a honeyed voice. Thematically, many of the songs hinge on the ups and downs of romance, but it never feels like anything less than joy. What's most captivating about Renaissance, though, is the range Aluna displays across the album: She's nimble, as she inhabits just the right tone for whatever style of production lies before her. Whether nestled in the pulsating bass of splashy dance pop (“Warrior,” “Envious,” “Body Pump”), simmering trap-R&B (“Off Guard”), or the intoxicating diasporic sounds of dancehall (“Get Paid”), reggae (“Surrender”), and Afropop (“The Recipe,” “Pressure”), she injects her own soulful magic to charming effect, a gift that keeps on giving.