James Righton The Performer

After coming to prominence as the frontman of the Mercury Prize-winning Klaxons, James Righton releases his debut solo album, The Performer. Standing in stark contrast to the electro-hedonism of Righton's work with Klaxons, it instead spins through various points from the 1970 onwards. It touches on the suave art-lounge of Roxy Music, the jangly grooves of R.E.M., the sumptuous psychedelia of latter-day Beach Boys and the songwriting gift of Nick Lowe. Righton uses these classic elements as the groundwork for something which feels at home in 2019.