The Double Doghouse

hello folks! this week for the weekly review, we’re gonna take a look at Jessie Ware’s 2020 record, What’s Your Pleasure? i’ve heard a bit of Jessie Ware in the past and really liked what i heard, so i’m extremely excited to dig into this one!

Spotlight kicks off with the extremely stripped back, tender opening, and then those dark, fun synths come in and it’s an extremely cool shift that sets up a very nice chorus well. this one really grew on me – it’s a fairly mellow opener, all things considered, but ooh the mood and the performance really really make this a stellar track. the title track is nice – i really like the groove on this one, really makes you wanna move. Ooh La La is one of the tracks that hooked me earliest – the chorus is just so so so good here, and that’s not even getting to the great bridge this track has. Soul Control brings in some really interesting instrumentation, and the mixing on Ware’s voice is so much more… immediate in that first verse. neat song! Save a Kiss rocks. plus, the way it ramps up to “save a little bit of your love!” is v v good. Adore You is a quieter moment here – a bit of peace on the dancefloor, haha. i like In Your Eyes. its p nice. Step Into My Life brings the energy way back up, and damn this one kicks ass. Read My Lips has some KILLER bass standing out on this one. really really good vibes. Mirage (Don’t Stop) is really nice. not a ton to say about this one. The Kill is immediately a lot more electronic and moody – a really ear-catcher shift from Mirage (Don’t Stop). really really dig this – reminds me a lot of Daft Punk’s more cinematic stuff like the Tron soundtrack. and that outro! excellent! Remember Where You Are is playing in a lot of the same places that some of the more ballad-y tracks of Janelle Monae’s earlier works, and its a very sweet closer.

faves – Spotlight, Ooh La La, The Kill
dislikes –

 this album is so SEXY. its sensual, and groovy, and lays everything so bare. really really big fan of this one. Ware’s vocals obviously just do so much work here – they shift so easily between sultry and honest and emotional and it makes for a very good listening experience. musically, nearly every song on this album just makes you wanna move, even if its just tapping your toes. and yknow, i really gotta appreciate a collection of tracks that collectively are just a cry for intimacy, especially coming out of a year like 2020. very very good track!

What’s Your Pleasure? – 8/10

for the next Weekly Album Review, i’ll be checking out Can’t Buy a Thrill, the 1972 by Steely Dan. i’ll be back next Friday, August 4th with that review and to pick another weekly record, and in the meantime, let me know what album you’d like me to review! (i pool all suggestions in one place, and draw a person, then one pick from that person, so feel free to drop as many as you’d like! if you leave an email or username i’ll contact you when i’ve gotten through all your suggestions.)