Chance The Rapper may be the poster boy for the independent artist, but he’s not the only one thriving without record label support. Rod Thomas, the Welsh disco doyen who records under the moniker Bright Light Bright Light, has assembled a murderers’ row of guest artists on his self-released third album Choreography – including Alan Cumming, two of the Scissor Sisters and his long-term mentor figure Elton John – and all without an exec in sight. Then again, Choreography doesn’t exactly resemble the work of a DIY artist. Inspired by the sheen and optimism of movies of the 1980s, it’s a lavish and maximalist affair, full of wistful, heartfelt pop songs. With its brassy synths, opener All in the Name wouldn’t feel out of place in the closing credits of Working Girl, while Careful Whisper, title nod onwards, evokes the sleeves-up era of the new romantics. All of this is done with immense skill, with every element sounding painstakingly honed to evoke maximum resonance for those of a certain age. Yet at times it feels just a little too on the nose, more a lovingly recreated period piece than something adventurous and new.
