“Ladies, let me ask you something,” prompted Aluna Francis midway through her suppertime Saturday set. “Who’s in control?” The largely female audience answered with a roar as the singer launched into the tripping electronic beat of “I’m In Control,” tinted with Jamaican-style elements worked in from collaborator and producer George Reid.
The UK duo largely shelved its slow-building singles from 2011 and 2012 in favor of the high-octane dance cuts from 2016’s I Remember. That allowed Francis to shine not just as a chanteuse, but as a party host. Heavily glitched bass shakers like “I Remember” and “You Know You Like It” had the entire crowd pulsating and perhaps less focused on Francis’ vocal acumen, but still reliant on her energy to keep the party going.
That dynamic carried on through Skrillex feature “To U,” which was recorded with Francis as main feature. She had to carry the live adaptation without the long-haired party starter, but worked the HomeAway stage like a champ.
“My Blood” was the closest approximation to the minimalist, bedroom-worthy singles that marked the beginning of AlunaGeorge’s career, briefly halting the party for a slow jam that by its nature required Francis’ voice to play a more central role. If her recent body of work is marked by dance beats rather than trip-hopping soul, Francis proved the duo’s future rests firmly in her hands.
This article appears in September 30 • 2016.