There comes a time when every formula inevitably starts to wane, and it looks as if the trend for dance-pop acts utilising warbling vocalists over banging beats is running out of steam.
Sigma’s Cameron Edwards and Joe Lenzie were in business, specifically the drum’n’bass business, long before that template took hold, but their debut album is still chockablock with conscious coupling of vocals and beats.
Rita Ora, Paloma Faith, Ella Eyre, Labrinth and co add words and warbles to tracks which feature dramatic strings and piano intros before the bass wobbles and the tune finds some manic momentum.
Some of this is fine – the smouldering Coming Home shows Ora can actually sometimes sing, while Glitterball is a high-fidelity pop cracker – but the feeling Edwards and Lenzie are working to a script never quite abates.
