Romy’s Mid Air: Lyrically introspective work as broad-brushstroke Eurovision pop

After three records with The xx, Romy Madley Croft brings us her debut solo album – and, somewhat surprisingly, it is firmly situated at the poppier end of the scale, with Fred Again, Stuart Price and Jamie xx bringing some of their own production sensibilities to a lyrically introspective piece of work.

The piano-led Loveher brings to mind the melancholic tenor of Tracey Thorn, harnessing that kind of wistful but clear-eyed wisdom and folding it into a euphoric anthem. Its companion piece The Sea sounds like Robyn swirling around Ayia Napa. This is mainly commercial dance music. Weightless is at the slighter end of that scale; One Last Try bounces around, almost tipping into the ubiquitous reggaeton; and Strong is surprising in its weird mixture of earnest lyrics and frantic tempo, bringing to mind elements of Faithless.

The ambient wash of the title song is interesting; Twice showcases Romy’s vocal because the production serves it, unlike Did I, which is broad-brushstroke Eurovision pop, which quite a few of these songs seem to have as their underpinning.

[ The xx’s Romy: ‘I can now write about loving a woman and not feel afraid’ ]

It probably works best on something like the Jamie xx-produced Enjoy Your Life (featuring a sample of Beverley Glenn-Copeland’s La Vita), because it commits to a consistent sense of joy and soulful disco, as does She’s On My Mind, where the ghosts of Modjo’s Lady (Hear Me Tonight) and The Nolans’ I’m in the Mood for Dancing seem to meet.