For his sixth set, English pop singer Olly Murs bundled a greatest-hits collection with a new album, You Know I Know. Originally conceived as a simple hits compilation, the effort evolved after Murs recorded a couple new tracks. Of these fresh offerings, standouts include the bouncy "Moves," co-penned by Ed Sheeran and featuring Snoop Dogg, the shimmering disco bop "Feel the Same" with Nile Rodgers on guitar, and "Somebody New," which borrows from the Ed Sheeran/Shawn Mendes camp of guitar-driven dance-pop. While the new album side ("I Know") of the release could have been tightened, fans will appreciate the enjoyable (but not too memorable) additions to Murs' catalog of harmless dance-pop. On the greatest-hits side ("You Know"), the most popular songs from his career are collected in one place, making a case for Murs' deserved place in the 2010s U.K. Top 40 pantheon. Of the dozen chart-climbers, "Troublemaker," "Heart Skips a Beat," "You Don't Know Love," "Unpredictable," and "Dance with Me Tonight" are as much fun as they were upon initial release. Together, the merger of old and new works well, balancing the familiar with the fresh.
© Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo