Clean Bandit - New Eyes (Special Edition) (2014)

The British electronic four-piece Clean Bandit mash classical music and pop forms for an airy and dreamy yet driven sound that's like the chamber music version of house music. It's a sound best experienced on "Mozart's House," a well-built number that opens the group debut effort New Eyes with some tasteful, ultra-sheen beats and some clever rapping ("Little touch up, pizzicato/Relax the tempo, sip some rubato/And if I get too animated/Tan my face with adagietto"), and all while the world of cheese is kept at arm's length. Myriad vocalists including Jess Glynne, Love Ssega, Lizzo, and Rae Morris help broaden the horizon and sound, and when sliced into two EPs, the micro-house and Mozart quotes feel wonderful together, losing none of their freshness. The good news is this special group wasn't corporately coerced into something ridiculous, but even with the mash-up "gimmick," New Eyes remains a small, subtle, and soft record.