February 10 marked the release of Katy B‘s sophomore album ‘Little Red’, and while it’s definitely a major label pop album with a connection to Rinse FM, it’s not likely to drum up much favour among dance music snobs despite it reaching number 1 in the UK just last week. It’s out on Rinse as well as Sony and Colombia, and follows 2011’s debut single ‘Katy on a Mission’ that shot straight out of the funky scene into the top five. Her newest LP, however, draws help from the likes of Jessie Ware and Sampha, produced by Rinse don Geeneus, as well as featuring two collaborations with Guy Chambers – the co-architect of some obscenely massive singles and albums by Robbie Williams. Yet overall, it’s a really tight album, crossing from Joker’s minor key dubstep on ‘All My Lovin’ to the slightly disappointing (?) George Fitzgerald production of ‘I Like You’, and from the classic MJ Cole production of ‘Blue Eyes’ to the breaks-drenched ‘Emotions’. There are bangers, too – ‘Aaliyah’, the Ware duet carried over from Katy’s late-2012 ‘Danger‘ EP, is her most smartly-written song but also works as pure dancefloor euphoria.

High recommendations here – great album. Get it here.

Tracklist:
01. Next Thing (03:03)
02. 5 AM (03:21)
03. Aaliyah (feat. Jessie Ware) (04:38)
04. Crying for No Reason (04:02)
05. I Like You (04:03)
06. All My Lovin’ (04:41)
07. Tumbling Down (04:42)
08. Everything (03:47)
09. Play (feat. Sampha) (03:23)
10. Sapphire Blue (04:27)
11. Emotions (04:35)
12. Still (03:29)
13. Blue Eyes (05:17)
14. Stay Down (03:17)
15. Hot Like Fire (03:54)
16. Wicked Love (04:03)
17. Sky’s the Limit (03:49)
18. Little Red (Continuous Mix) (65:52)