Crafted while the country was in lockdown, Years & Years, now a solo project with vocalist Olly Alexander taking centre stage, are back with their third album Night Call. With a vibrant pop aesthetic, and lyrics of proud declaration, Night Call is a liberating record that encourages us all to head to the nearest dance floor and find our freedom of expression.
Night Call begins with the synth-led ‘Consequences’, a track that is high energy and sets the tone for the rest of the album. ‘Consequences’ features a distortion of Alexander’s vocals, a feature that harks back to early 80s synth-pop that once dominated every nightclub soundtrack. This is followed by lead single ‘Starstruck,’ a post-disco sounding track with a shiny melody in the chorus and a groovy bassline. Released last year, it is the perfect way to kick off a new era for Years & Years. He has labeled the track ‘Starstruck’ as “three minutes of interstellar ecstasy.”
It has been quite the 12 months for Olly Alexander. As well as writing Night Call, he starred in hard-hitting TV drama It’s A Sin that depicted the devastating impact that the HIV/AIDS epidemic had on the lives of many in the 1980s and 1990s. In order to play his role, Alexander described to NME how the cast would “immerse themselves in the 80s” and would often ”‘blast 80s playlists in our trailers.” It is no surprise then that Night Call sounds 80s pop-inspired.
The song ‘Strange And Unusual’ features a dreamy synth beat reminiscent of Bronski Beat’s early work as Olly muses about how “my spine chills when you’re in the room / what is it that makes me feel this way?” The latest single from the album, ‘Sooner Or Later,’ has a quick and repetitive synth rhythm with lyrical themes of obsession over a lover who is playing hard to get.
As well as using 80s as a source for musical inspiration, Olly is also inspired by the decade’s emphasis on sexual freedom and liberation, These themes particularly resonsated during lockdown, in which Olly wrote most of Night Call’s lyrical work. Since then, he has opened up about how his isolation prompted him to write lyrics that centered around themes of freedom. This comes to light on the song ‘Muscle,’ where Olly sings, “all the lights are focused on you / I can hear applause as your body talks,” soundtracked to a dreamy pop beat.
The album is also not short of energetic pop anthems, which are needed more than ever after two years of pandemic-dominated misery. Years & Years’ collaboration with electronic duo Galantis ‘Sweet Talker’ is the highlight of the album, complete with a joyous synth filled beat drop. The song ‘Crave’ is another vibrant highlight, contrasting Alexander’s dark lyrics about being obsessed with a pain that a lover gives: “all the heartache for a dream come true / the only thing I crave is the pain from you,” he sings.
Night Call does not break boundaries, but it is fun. It is packed with energetic dance floor anthems that signify a very positive start of a new era for Years & Years.
Words by Ester Scott
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