Years & Years — Night Call

The third album from England's Years & Years, 2022's sleek and hooky Night Call, is singer Olly Alexander's first production since the departure of founding members Mikey Goldsworthy and Emre Türkmen. Amiably citing creative differences that grew more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, the trio split in 2021, purportedly scrapping a finished album and paving the way for Alexander to push forward on his own. The result is a diamond-sharp production rife with disco-hot bangers that evoke the classic work of artists like Giorgio Moroder, Michael Jackson, and the Real McCoy. It's a frothy, throw-back aesthetic that fits perfectly with Alexander's charismatic persona and highly resonant vocal style even as it is admittedly a stylistic shift away from the arty electronica that helped win the group a BBC Sound of 2015 award. While there's certainly a more direct pop quality to Alexander's work here, the album is no less finely attuned than his past work. Helping him make this transition are a handful of like-minded writers and producers (several who've worked with Years & Years before), including Mark Ralph (Gracey, Marina, Clean Bandit), Clarence Coffee, Jr. (Jesse Ware, Dua Lipa, BUNT.), and Swedish duo Galantis, the latter of whom also guest on the uplifting house anthem "Sweet Talker." Other cuts like "Starstruck" and "Crave" are shimmering dancefloor shakers that bring to mind Alexander's past collaborations with pop legends like Kylie Minogue and Pet Shop Boys. While Night Call builds nicely upon Years & Years' indie electronic roots, it primarily feels like a new beginning for Alexander as he boldly embraces his pop future.