It’s often said Manchester’s Shura –AKA Alexandra Lilah Denton – draws from the synthetic groove of Madonna’s early years; but two years and 26m YouTube views after her effortlessly enveloping single Touch was released, her sound now seems to belongs to a less distant era: stripping drivetime pop of its pomp, adding subtlety and shyness in its place; the production languid, its ambience a pastel shade of plaintive – Nothing’s Real is pure blog-pop, of the sort that preceded chillwave and has since nearly faded out. Over samples of childhood home movies, she sings as if under the sheets and unloading a lifetime of intimacies on a new lover. The title track, for example, is about her first panic attack, while 2Shy grapples with introversion in the face of romance. Her more uptempo moments are especially promising; melodies so satisfying she should consider handing them to a major-league artist in need of a reboot. This feels like a time capsule of Shura’s life up to 2016, amorphous former internet genres and all.
