Since the mid-2010s, Peggy Gou has undoubtedly become one of the biggest names in dance music, fuelled by a string of great EPs and the massive popularity of “Peggy Shoe” at Glastonbury Festival 2017. Since then, the light and lively tracks from these releases, such as “Starry Night”, “It Makes You Forget” and the haunting 2023 “It Goes Like (Nanana)”, have become widely known icons. Now comes the highly anticipated debut album “I Hear You”. The album is undeniably '90s-inspired, with notable homages to the era on the contemplative opener “Your Art”, as well as “Back To One” and “I Believe In Love Again”. Moving forward to the Balearic, beat-driven “All That”, we start to hear more of Gou's signature sound, with “Seoulsi Peggygou (서울시페기구)” serving as its house-inspired, acid-infused crux. “Purple Horizon” recalls the sun-drenched waves of Happy Mondays and Primal Scream, while the vibrant keys and soaring trance of closer “1+1=11” is a rousing banger that neatly sums up the album's rise.
Throughout “I Hear You,” there is a clear intent to create something beyond what Peggy Gou is typically known for, but it doesn't always work out. The album is deliberately crafted to venture into new areas of inspiration, realized primarily through a nostalgic sound from the 90s, but instead of creating something powerful and new, these efforts often end up being a bit mediocre. “I Hear You” is a well-produced, easy-listening record that will undoubtedly move people. Let's hope “It Makes You Forget” isn't a harbinger of whether this album will stand the test of time.