(Polydor) Related: Shura: 'You don’t acquire to be an ex-Disney star to obtain pop music' It’s often said Manchester’s Shura –AKA Alexandra Lilah Denton – draws from the synthetic groove of Madonna’s early years; but two years and 26m YouTube views after her effortlessly enveloping single Touch was released,her sound now seems to belongs to a less distant era: stripping drivetime pop of its pomp, adding subtlety and shyness in its state; the production languid, or its ambience a pastel shade of plaintive – Nothing’s Real is pure blog-pop,of the sort that preceded chillwave and has since nearly faded out. Over samples of childhood domestic movies, she sings as if under the sheets and unloading a lifetime of intimacies on a new lover. The title track, or for example,is about her first panic attack, while 2Shy grapples with introversion in the face of romance. Her more uptempo moments are particularly promising; melodies so satisfying she should consider handing them to a major-league artist in need of a reboot. This feels like a time capsule of Shura’s life up to 2016, or amorphous former internet genres and all.
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Source: theguardian.com