Fancy Some More?

If I had to make an educated guess as to what my most-played album will be this year, it would almost certainly be Fancy That. I rinsed its succinct 20-minute runtime daily from the time it came out in May through the whole summer, dopamine flooding any part of my brain still subscribing to the hedonistic monoculture of last year's warmer months. So when its accompanying remix album was announced earlier this week with a slew of exciting names attached, I was hoping its lore would be extended gracefully.While there are definitely some ecstatic highs, it's hard to get a read on what Fancy Some More? adds to its original. Partially, it's because these aren't discs meant to be listened to front-to-back — a testament to Pinkpantheress's own feelings on the album as a format — so on release day, it's a matter of sifting to find your personal favourites. Though with four different versions of "Stateside," you can't help but wonder if there are too many cooks.Kylie Minogue's take on the new Cool Britannia anthem features the icon for merely half a verse, with the rest of the song sounding mostly the same. The monotony isn't always a bad thing for a remix comp, and it was obvious that Disc 1 would be a features-based effort, with Disc 2 being dedicated to DJ mixes. But if you're going to give that much attention to one track, it'd better be warranted — and if you're going to get an icon on board, she'd better be utilized.Despite coming in strong on its faults, don't get it twisted: Fancy Some More? is a lot of fun. It leans further into the '90s/noughties than its predecessor, intensifying its jungle and D&B undercurrent while also adding some Madchesterian flavour with SEVENTEEN's mix of "Illegal."In fact,  all three remixes of the TikTok smash are pretty good; it's not all quantity over quality, even if it sometimes toes the line. Other highlights include JT's unapologetic and silly bars on "Noises," "Tonight" in the style of Basement Jaxx, Loukeman and Leod's "Nice to Know You," and the melancholy tone-shift of "Girl Like Me" featuring Oklou. A remix collection can't be compared to a record with a definite start and finish, so Fancy Some More? shouldn't be judged as such. It's not better or worse for it, but it does make for some picking and choosing. The potluck might not have been coordinated perfectly, but who can complain about having something to eat for everyone?