Albums to watch

Contrast

Conor Maynard

Contrast

Electronic R&B and urban pop on the first album from the 19-year-old Brighton singer unwillingly known as the British Justin Bieber

ADM rating[?]

6.3

Label
Parlophone
UK Release date
30/07/2012
US Release date
07/08/2012
  1. 8.0 |   Evening Standard

    The real triumph is in the album’s production: big, muscular and without an X Factor-type ballad in sight
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  2. 7.0 |   NME

    There’s some razor-sharp and achingly ‘now’ production from the Invisible Men and some star-studded turns
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  3. 7.0 |   BBC

    It's derivative, but in the best possible way; Maynard's songs do a good job of incorporating current dance and urban trends into some very catchy pop tunes
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  4. 7.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    More than anything, what impresses about Contrast is the quality of songs on offer
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  5. 6.0 |   Rolling Stone

    He displays a Bieber-like flair for mixing boy-band guile-lessness with state-of-the-art R&B style
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  6. 6.0 |   The Guardian

    Follows the Bieber template of fitting a breathy teenage voice to cleancut urban pop created by some of the genre's biggest names
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  7. 6.0 |   The Observer

    Much more sonically sophisticated, and far slicker, than a record by a teen-market singer has any right to be
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  8. 6.0 |   The Arts Desk

    Aided by collaborators like Pharell Williams and Ne-Yo, much of the album has a slick MTV “white R&B” feel
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  9. 6.0 |   Independent on Sunday

    The super-efficient dance-pop doesn't miss a beat drop
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  10. 6.0 |   Q

    Maynard is clearly being primed to take on Bieber. Print edition only

  11. 6.0 |   The Scotsman

    This is a pleasantly accomplished start with a heap more attitude than anything One Direction have released to date
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