Guy J - Esperanza

Released on Digweed’s label and backed by Sasha, it seems pretty clear what kind of crowd Guy J’s Esperanza might appeal to. It’s pleasantly surprising to find that despite the backbone of generic house and hard dance, there’s excursions into motor city sounds, bleary-eyed Balearic movers, and chic pop minimal. Even big room floor-fillers like Nebula are smoothly executed, with great big bass, crisp hi-hats and infectious melodies that should sway the most hip and disillusioned clubbers. It’s Guy J’s focus on penning great melodies but using them sparingly that makes Esperanza such an attractive proposition. I See You Next Time demonstrates exactly how compelling one good riff can be, slowly drawing a sparkling synth-line out of murky swathes of bass before finally bursting into life at the climax. It’s hardly revolutionary stuff, but for compelling dance floor material, Esperanza can’t be faulted. Coming at the back end of summer, this isn’t as hopeful a record as the title suggests, and it really deserved rotation on the beaches in mid-July, but it’ll be massive nonetheless. [Liam Arnold]