It may seem odd that Calvin Harris has made this belated sequel to 2017’s Funk Wav Bounces Vol 1, but actually all his albums have come in pairs. The first two were dance-pop sets featuring the young Scot as a singing frontman; the next couple were epic collaboration compilations from someone who’d somehow become the world’s highest-paid DJ slash Armani model. As annoyingly ubiquitous as Harris may seem sometimes, his quality control has rarely dipped. Bounces Vol 1 was a magical surprise featuring blissed-out beach club classics such as Slide and Feels, and an impressive cast of A-list talent, although it suffered from being overly male.
Vol 2 makes amends. Although the first voice you hear is 21 Savage’s sleazy drawl on the gorgeous New Money, the best of the rest is all female. Dua Lipa delivers a fantastic follow-up to One Kiss with album standout Potion, and Normani, Tinashe, Jorja Smith and Stefflon Don all offer better contributions than, say, Busta Rhymes, who raps like he’s desperate to get out of the studio and go home. Fortunately, there’s something irresistibly joyous about the low-stakes funky feel Harris summons at will, no matter who’s at the mic.
