Michelle Shiers on March 5th, 2015

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After gaining steam with a couple releases on the French label Kitsuné, London’s Years & Years, recent winners of the “BBC Sound of 2015” award, have just released their new single “King” via Polydor Records. The trio is days away from wrapping up recording their debut full-length album (due in June), which is sure to excite their fans who have been savoring only the few numbers they have shared so far. “King” is a soaring pop gem with a catchy house groove and highs and lows that pulsate like a flawless dance track. Vocalist Olly Alexander’s bright falsetto and youthful vibrato give theatrical weight to the otherwise featherlight synth. In the music video for “King”, a shirtless curly-haired Alexander is groped and carried by a group of dancers and Alexander’s charm as a performer helps to frame Years & Years as electronica with heart. There are also some audible nods to their influences, Flying Lotus, Thom Yorke, ’90s R&B. Lyrically, their songs aren’t too much to explore — in “King” he sings, “And oh, I was a king under your control/ And oh, I wanna feel like you’ve let me go,” but it still makes for an excellent sing-along. The band, also comprised of Emre Turkmen (synth) and Mike Goldsworthy (bass) have been on tour in Europe and are just about to make it to the West Coast accompanied by touring drummer Dylan Bell.

||| Stream: “Desire”

||| Live: Years & Years perform March 23 at The Avalon and March 25 at the Troubadour.