ALBUM OF THE WEEK

Kylie

Disco

BMG, out now

★★★★ ★

Kylie is back on familiar territory after the country-influenced 2018 album Golden.

Disco is exactly as described. Twelve tracks glistening like a glitterball, co-written with tried and trusted collaborators such as Teemu Brunila of Finnish group The Crash and the Biffco production team (One Direction, Little Mix, Ellie Goulding).

The Australian singer engineered her own vocals at her home studio. After 30 years of surefooted career moves, the 52year-old knows instinctively what works best for her. Magic, I Love It and Dance Floor Darling have ingested a 70s Studio 54 vibe. A Nile Rogers-like guitar riff is the basis of Monday Blues which she also nods to Estelle’s American Boy while Supernova practically genuflects to Moloko’s Sing It Back. The best of the bunch is Say Something, where she sings, ‘Love is love it never ends. Can we all be as one again?’ There’s a lockdown anthem, if you want one.

Little Mix

Confetti

RCA UK, out now

★★★ ★★

Little Mix come across as a likeable bunch on the Saturday primetime show Little Mix - The Search where a new group will be manufactured as they were on The X Factor. But you don’t sell 50 million records without delivering a quality product each time, even if it becomes very quickly of its time. Listed as co-writers on most of their material, how much input they have working with production juggernauts such as Xenomania and Biffco isn’t clear. However, it is very difficult to argue with tracks such as Break Up Song where they sing about ‘all the times they screwed us over.’ The shoe is on the other foot on Happiness where they sing, ‘I was using you to fill up my loneliness.’ Little Mix as a team know what plays well with their base as it evolves. Anyone who bought Little Mix’s first single at 15 is 24 now. They’ve survived by bearing that in mind.

Seamus Fogarty

Big Bag Of Eyes

Domino, out now

★★★★ ★

Over two albums, London-based Mayo man Seamus Fogarty has been one of our most progressive if unheralded artists. His third moves him into the must-hear category. On songs such as Bus Shelter Blues, Jimmy Stewart and Nuns, his lyrics can alternate between flights of magic realism or causing blunt force dramas in the head. Johnny K is a towering song with touchstones reflecting the Irish experience abroad over a Pink Floydish soundscape.