Jessie Ware’s soft glamor What is your pleasure radiates with the persistence of a sparkling disco ball in a foggy club. It is a melancholic luxury, like strong drops of tears stained with mascara. It is also, without a doubt, the best album by the British pop star to date: a sumptuous tribute to both spikes and post-albums, as well as the black, brown and LGBTQ people with whom the genre resonated more deeply.
In Pleasure, the best songs sound like the final breath of euphoria before the strong glow of the bar’s fluorescent lights signals the end of the night. No wonder Ware cited Fern Kinney’s “Love Me Tonight” as a major influence on her record in an interview with Gay times. “Apparently during the AIDS epidemic in New York, this would be the closing song they would play [at clubs], “she said.” It’s such a beautiful song. Many people were losing loved ones and friends and it became really meaningful. ”
Songs like the dreamy opener “Spotlight”, the hypnotic “Adore You” and the latest slow jam “Remember Where You Are” have a romantic purpose for them, like that last chance kiss at 3:45 am among a mass of waning bodies. The rest of the album moves and hits like a nightclub: the noise of the ambient traffic in the background of “Ooh La La” makes you feel like you strutting like John Travolta in Saturday night fever. Songs like “Soul Control”, “Save a Kiss”, “Read My Lips” and the title track are brilliant romps taken from great dance floors like Donna Summer, Blondie and Klymaxx. Ware’s shy giggle at the top of “Read My Lips” carries the same flirtatious flirtation as Whitney Houston’s opening dialogue on “So Emotional.”
Throughout the album, Ware’s voice fills every moment with incredibly lustful desire. It feels more timeless in its emotionality and drama than even the sound itself, which remains firmly tied to a bygone era. His nostalgia feels like a fitting tribute, mainly because he digs so deep to the core. “Last night we danced and I thought you were saving my life,” he sings in the resplendent “Mirage (Don’t Stop).” With one line, Ware captures the history of the genre almost entirely. It’s a triumphant sun rising to greet a whole new era of disco, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.
