The 2 Bears (Raf Rundell and Joe Goddard of Hot Chip) stride into January with their long-awaited debut album. Essentially a love letter to the music they both adore, ‘Be Strong’ is funny, innovative, uplifting and, most importantly, always fun. Loving care and an obviously huge record collection inform every last moment here, from the inner city slink of ‘Bear Hug’ to the pure class of ‘Work’. Goddard in particular stakes his claim as one of the most consistent-yet-underrated producers around, a true king of the dance floor.