Euronews Culture's Verdict on Manu Chao, Jamie xx & Katy Perry's comeback albums

Manu Chao - Viva Tu

It’s been nearly two decades since the former frontman of the band Mano Negra released a studio album. The last one was ‘La Radiolina’ in 2007, and during his 17-year ‘sabbatical’, the worldly troubadour hasn’t been idle. He’s continued to perform in the four corners of the world with his live band Radio Bemba.

His new album ‘Viva Tu’ is inspired by his travels, and bares all the hallmarks of what made Manu Chao such a beloved presence on the airwaves. The way he effortlessly merges Latin rhythms and Caribbean grooves with Western folk music; his occasional sampling and smooth percussions; the minimalist lyrics sung in Spanish, French, Portuguese and English. It’s all there.

However, the now 63-year-old has slowed things down a bit. The acoustic guitars take the lead and there’s a more gentle vibe to ‘Viva Tu’, which lacks some of the street energy and punkish effervescence some of his previous records had. Not that that’s a bad thing. 'Viva Tu' may not have the vibrancy of his first two albums 'Clandestino' and 'Próxima Estación: Esperanza'; nor does it have the inventiveness of his undervalued effort, 2004’s concept LP 'Sibérie m’était contéee’ – his first exclusively French language album which shone due to its dexterous word play and storytelling. However, this new album feels like a familiar sounding evolution.

While that may sound contradictory, by noticeably degassing the water and going for an infectiously laid-back approach, Manu Chao mirrors the thematic spirit of his album in the sense he focuses on how the ordinary lives of people can be remarkable in their own unique ways. Nowhere is this more evident than on the titular track, a smooth and melodious rumba celebrating the singer’s neighbours in Barcelona, or on the mellow tune ‘La Couleur du Temps’.

The ode to remembrance 'Tu Te Vas' (featuring French rapper Laeti) is a standout, as well as the touching lament of 'Cuatro Calles'. The immigration anthem 'Vecinos En El Mar', which was written with Kurdish refugees in Athens, is also a fascinating listen. Granted, songs like 'São Paulo Motoboy', a tribute to delivery drivers in the densely populated Brazilian city, and 'Lonely Night' may rely a bit too much on the same recycled sounds we’ve heard before, but there’s a comforting quality to the sleekly produced warmth that radiates from these tracks. The only dud is ‘Heaven’s Bad Day’, a Willie Nelson collab that leans a bit too heavily on country whistles and harmonica. 

Familiar but never not engaging, 'Viva Tu' is a welcome return from Manu Chao. Anyone hoping for a reinvention or a few more surprises may be disappointed, but those who have missed the artist’s signature vibe will be delighted after a nearly two-decade wait. DM

Comeback Score: 3/5

Jamie xx - In Waves

Nearly a decade after his critically acclaimed classic 'In Colour', Jamie xx (James Smith) invites listeners back onto his kaleidoscopic dance floor for a long-awaited second bump of rave nostalgia and forward-thinking beats.

Despite its monochromatic album cover, 'In Waves' is bursting with joyous energy. House, UK garage, drum and bass, and experimental sounds collide in a record that demands to be heard on a ginormous festival sound system into the early hours of the morning.

The stripped-back opener 'Wanna' sets the tone wonderfully, reimagining Double 99’s iconic 1997 club hit 'Ripgroove' by adding atmospheric piano progressions and swelling synths. The track falls seamlessly into 'Treat Each Other Right', which gets things moving with its punchy drum break, deep bassline and soulful sampled vocals.

The xx bandmates Romy and Oliver Sim make a welcome return on 'Waited All Night', their chemistry with Smith as electric as ever. Its catchy ‘la la la la’ vocal line and goosebump-inducing garage rhythms and feel make it a clear standout, wonderfully capturing the vibe of euphoric late-night revelry.

Elsewhere, Australian group The Avalanches lend their sampling magic to 'All You Children', a hypnotising, house track, while Swedish LGBTQ icon Robyn blesses an undeniably fun Daft Punk-style disco-house track with her diva-pop vocals.

However, its perhaps when the 35-year-old London-born producer steps away from collaborations that 'In Waves' is at its strongest, such as on the slow-building, tempo-shifting epic 'Breather' or the pulsating and evolving 'Still Summer'. While, not every track hits the same high notes - 'The Feeling I Get From You' treads somewhat familiar ground to what we've heard from Fred Again.. in recent years and 'Daffodil' feels cluttered and incoherent - the duds are far and few.

It’s hard to say yet whether the album will have the same impact as 'In Colour' but it’s certainly a rewarding and frequently electrifying listen. Its 45-minute runtime plays out like one very, very enjoyable DJ set, taking listeners on a cathartic journey through different genres and eras, while still looking firmly forward. Jamie xx proves yet again that he’s one the most exciting and accomplished talents in dance music. Well worth the wait! TF

Comeback Score: 5/5

Katy Perry - 143

Pop powerhouse Katy Perry is back, following the underperforming and critically panned ‘Smile’ in 2020. Her return has not been smooth, as the rollout for Perry's new album ‘143’ has been an unmitigated disaster.

First there was the tone-deafness of re-working with the producer Dr Luke, who was embroiled in a long-running legal dispute with Kesha after she accused him of rape and abuse. 

Then came the music, with the single ‘Woman’s World’, a pseudo-empowerment anthem whose faux-feminist pandering struck every regressive note in the book. It was accompanied by a video so cringe-inducing that Perry attempted to retcon it as a satire. Flop One. The follow-up single ‘Lifetimes’ was about as bland a Eurodance pop track could be, and a possible dispiriting sign of things to come. Flop Two (with an environmental investigation to go with it). And disproving “third time’s a charm” was ‘I’m His He’s Mine’, an uninspired collaboration with rising star Doechii that is built on a sample of Crystal Waters’ ‘Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless)’.

Still, how wonderful would it be to discover that ‘143’ wasn’t set to fail despite the repeated stumbles out of the starting blocks, revealing that a solid pop record was our reward. 

No such luck, as Perry has gone off the deep end and delivered the most down-the-middle and soulless offering of the year (so far). Everything here falls flat, especially the mind-numbingly clichéd lyrics. Whereas her past lyricism never really went all that deep, there was a joyous energy to it. That’s all gone, and as hackneyed as it is to say, all the songs on ‘143’ sound like they’ve been ChatGPTed: “Is it a crush? / Makin' me blush / Here I go again, I'm falling in love (...) My heart goes / La, da-da-dee / La, da-dee" (‘Crush’); "Drippin' like some ice / Know you wanna take a ride" ('Gorgeous'); “I’m like Amazon ‘cause I got what you need” ('Gimme Gimme' – featuring 21 Savage); “You make me feel, make me feel so high / You make me feel, make me feel alive” (‘Nirvana’); and the hilariously on-point “You got me hooked on your algorithm” on the appropriately named ‘Artificial’.

And that’s just it – everything feels feigned, overripe, and completely out of step with the times. Not that there isn’t room in 2024 for unpretentious nostalgic throwbacks or some straightforward bubblegum pop – just see what Sabrina Carpenter did this year with ‘Short n’ Sweet’. And nothing states that pop needs to aim for profound or confessional. However, Perry’s efforts are half-baked and crucially, no fun. It’s certainly not with this collection of mediocre electro-pop duds which sound like the bland backing soundtrack to *insert Love Island-style dating show here* that she’s going to convince her fans to put down Chappell Roan, Charli XCX and Dua Lipa for a while to return to the KatyCat corner. Even a handful of semi-decent tracks like ‘All the Love’ and closing number ‘Wonder’ can’t save ‘143’ from being an embarrassment - and just a little bit sad.

The album’s title '143' is code for “I Love You” in texting lingo (each number counts the letters in each word). After listening to this record, we’re tempted to rembrand it as ‘424’. As an Angel number, the latter stands for “you’re on the perfect path”; here in the Euronews Culture office, it’s code for “Make It Stop.” DM

Comeback Score: 1/5

Manu Chao's 'Viva Tu'; Jamie xx's 'In Waves'; and Katy Perry's '143' are all out on 20 September.