Rose Gray - Dancing, Drinking, Talking, Thinking EP (2021)

That Rose Gray opted to look back to ‘90s dance for her signature sound now seems a masterstroke, the Londoner keying into an imagined nostalgia for a club culture unaffected by both gentrification and a global pandemic. Her singles, the euphoric ‘Save Your Tears’ and Lily Allen-indebted ‘Same Cloud’ both feature, and most of this debut EP continues along similar lines - especially the earwormy ‘Easy’. The record doesn’t always land on its feet: spoken parts are tricky at the best of times, and despite its soaring chorus ‘The Best Thing’ is patchy as a consequence. But while there’s still enough time for a metaphorical comedown with the heartfelt ‘Billy’, ‘dancing, drinking, talking, thinking’ still marks Rose’s out as a name to watch.