Mar 4, 2022
Calvin Harris has sent fans into a tailspin after seemingly confirming his new album, Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2, on Twitter
I'm still in shock.
Seriously.
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Calvin Harris has sent fans into a tailspin after seemingly confirming his new album, Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2, on Twitter
I'm still in shock.
Seriously.
I was gone for the day & this happened.
Oh!
What's the matter w/ the critics?
Seriously. I have now listened to FWBv2 from beginning to end and...
IT'S SOLIDLY GOOD.
I won't mind hearing these songs in rotation as I drive across the country. They've got a laid-back attitude w/ an upbeat tempo perfect for rolling down highways. The vocals are fine even if I don't understand all the words or maybe because I don't they are simply another musical element.
For me, the stand-out song is Lean On Me w/ Swan Lee. The simplicity & purity of that composition distills the essence of Calvin's take on Funk. And I understood every word!
I don't know what people expected that disappoints them. Fans of v1 have been begging for more of the same for 5 years & they got it. These tracks are similar but definitely improved by their analog elements. I wasn't blown-away but I didn't expect to be. Having low expectations opened me to appreciating this album for what it is—a gentle homage to Funk.
Is it missing some indefinable spark? Kinda. Maybe Calvin wasn't fully invested in this project because he was distracted by making radical changes in his personal life. Or maybe Sony coerced him into making the album & he did his workmanlike best w/o giving the project his whole heart.
There is one line from Lean On Me that seems to sum up the situation:
Only way to give up my one heart is if I had two
Oh good grief!
I haven't heard the album yet & The Guardian has already panned it.
Harris enlists Dua Lipa, Justin Timberlake, Pharrell, Halsey and others for a second round of slinky disco-pop, but his luxurious production
After praising the production, the reviewer says:
The issue is that none of the songs that all this gorgeous production whirls around are actually any good.
Ouch!
Click thru & read it. The rest of it is even more devastating than the conclusion:
But a couple of invigorating moments don’t absolve the album of its biggest sin: how dull it is. Funk Wav Bounces Vol 2 may often sound luxurious but there’s barely any substance. Unlike the spoils of his farming, Harris has crafted something that’s lacking in flavour.
Oh man, that's harsh.
I am not excited about the release of FWBv2 & that's sad. I've lost my fan girlish enthusiasm. I'll probably go to bed early, which has become my new normal, & open Apple Music in the morning when I'm ready to listen.
I'm not going to read the lyrics until after I've heard the music. And maybe not then. Because in 96% of Calvin's tracks the words do. not. matter. Even in his most popular singalong songs, it's not about the words. It's about being energized, compelled to dance, & absurdly happy.
I'll let you know when I know how I feel about v2.
OH HA!
I'm going to forget I read the lyrics. Savage's vocals are just another element in a multi-leveled feel-good bop. The odd sound effects are a hoot—especially the ancient video game laser shooter pew-pew sound. Then comes the jazzy guitar solo & bouncing & swaying in my seat isn't good enough. I got up to dance w/ my whole body.
In my humble opinion, it's a winner!
If you tap the link, you get the release date.
August 5