Calvin Harris - Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 ALBUM REVIEW
Summer is one of the best times of the year in general, but it’s also one of the best times for music. There are some summers where an artist or album dominates playlists throughout the season, like in 2018 when Travis Scott dropped ASTROWORLD. That record was all over the place, but along with that, it’s also one of the most iconic albums of the 2010s. When producer Calvin Harris decided to ditch the EDM music that made him a household name, the type of music he gravitated towards was practically made for summer: funk. This one-off project called Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 united an eclectic group of performers on a playlist curated for the hottest season of the year. Let’s get into it and see what makes this project so different from the rest of the pop world.
Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 is a funk album with pop, disco, and R&B. Now, call me crazy, but I think this is one of the most enjoyable albums of this decade. Before Funk Wav, I always thought that Calvin Harris was a one-trick pony, making these generic dance tracks with big names like Florence + The Machine, and it seemed very annoying to me. Then, the lead single “Slide” with Frank Ocean and Migos came along, and it really blew me away. Frank Ocean and Migos were a pair I never thought would work, especially on a track with Calvin Harris. The concept is more in the instrumentals, and since Calvin Harris is a producer, it works well. It’s more of a curated playlist of summery songs that included vocals from artists that Harris has been wanting to work with, and it’s mostly positive. Khalid and Future are a pretty fun duo on “Rollin’,” Travis Scott is strangely at home on the bubbly “Prayers Up,” and the trio of Young Thug, Pharrell, and Ariana Grande turn up the heat on “Heatstroke.” The only track I can think of that didn’t do a lot for me was the Nicki Minaj track “Skrt on Me.” She felt very out of place on this Autotune-esque beat, and it just felt weird to hear Minaj on this. Everything else outside of the singles are fine, but I just have a personal preference for this album over quite a bit of albums from this decade. One more thing is that if this is volume one, where’s volume two? We need it, Mr. Harris.
After the release of Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1, Calvin Harris has sworn off albums. He’s continued the vibe and sound of this album with SZA, Dua Lipa, Sam Smith, and most recently, The Weeknd. I’ve liked or loved every track of this, and I feel exactly the same with the Funk Wav Bounces album. As much as I’m thinking that he won’t, I want Calvin Harris to return to albums, or at least put out the existing loose singles into an EP, which he’s done on his Love Regenerator project. Overall, if you’re missing summer, listen to this record. You won’t be disappointed.
9/10
Stream Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 here
Spotify
Apple Music
YouTube Music
Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 is a funk album with pop, disco, and R&B. Now, call me crazy, but I think this is one of the most enjoyable albums of this decade. Before Funk Wav, I always thought that Calvin Harris was a one-trick pony, making these generic dance tracks with big names like Florence + The Machine, and it seemed very annoying to me. Then, the lead single “Slide” with Frank Ocean and Migos came along, and it really blew me away. Frank Ocean and Migos were a pair I never thought would work, especially on a track with Calvin Harris. The concept is more in the instrumentals, and since Calvin Harris is a producer, it works well. It’s more of a curated playlist of summery songs that included vocals from artists that Harris has been wanting to work with, and it’s mostly positive. Khalid and Future are a pretty fun duo on “Rollin’,” Travis Scott is strangely at home on the bubbly “Prayers Up,” and the trio of Young Thug, Pharrell, and Ariana Grande turn up the heat on “Heatstroke.” The only track I can think of that didn’t do a lot for me was the Nicki Minaj track “Skrt on Me.” She felt very out of place on this Autotune-esque beat, and it just felt weird to hear Minaj on this. Everything else outside of the singles are fine, but I just have a personal preference for this album over quite a bit of albums from this decade. One more thing is that if this is volume one, where’s volume two? We need it, Mr. Harris.
After the release of Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1, Calvin Harris has sworn off albums. He’s continued the vibe and sound of this album with SZA, Dua Lipa, Sam Smith, and most recently, The Weeknd. I’ve liked or loved every track of this, and I feel exactly the same with the Funk Wav Bounces album. As much as I’m thinking that he won’t, I want Calvin Harris to return to albums, or at least put out the existing loose singles into an EP, which he’s done on his Love Regenerator project. Overall, if you’re missing summer, listen to this record. You won’t be disappointed.
9/10
Stream Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 here
Spotify
Apple Music
YouTube Music
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