BØRNS – BLUE MADONNA – POLYDOR

Børns’ second album is a great piece of electronic pop that likes to sit slightly left of centre. He writes memorable songs but gives them original twists, with the odd harmonic or melodic shift that raises the eyebrows, or a move into falsetto that raises them further! He’s a really good pop vocalist that fans of Empire Of The Sun and Phoenix will definitely warm to, and comes highly recommended by no less than Prince (who loved his song ‘Electric Love’) and Lana Del Rey, his friend who sings on the flagship single ‘God Save Our Young Blood’. The soaring chorus of ‘Faded Heart’ works well, as does the high kicking ‘We Don’t Care’, while ‘I Don’t Want You Back’ has a frisson of attitude. Crucially Børns can still bring plenty to the slower tempo songs, which means the album never really lags. It is a high quality piece of shiny pop with which to start the year.

Ben Hogwood
4 out of 5

BØRNS, Lana Del Rey - God Save Our Young Blood (Audio)