Avicii has made a name for himself ahead of the release of
his first full album through a string of hit singles including “Seek Bromance, “Fade
Into Darkness”, “Levels” and “I Could Be The One”. Indeed, being personally
invited to a weekly residency in Ibiza by none other than dance music king
Tiesto himself is a sign you’re on your way up. Luckily for just about
everyone, Avicii’s newest album lives up to the hype and delivers (almost) twelve infectiously danceable tracks.
The album opens with his teaser single, “Wake Me Up”,
immediately catching the listener with his or her guard down. It’s twangy, it’s
country, but it’s still got the up-tempo thump and bump that keeps one
expecting something more. It’s a dance song, after all; there’s always
something more. Amidst the wobbled strums of probably-a-banjo, pensive vocals
belt out between choruses that make any room without a dance floor feel incomplete.
“Wake Me Up”, more than any other song on the album, is a foolproof crowd
pleaser.
“You Make Me” features a ferociously pounded piano beat
paired with standard up-and-down synth, punctuated by sections of falsetto
calm. An enjoyable foray into angry 88-key instrumentation, but mostly just
above average filler.
“Hey Brother” returns to the fascinating country-dance
fusion, opening with over thirty seconds devoid of any variety of synth and
taking nearly two full minutes to achieve dance frenzy status. This is an
eternity in dance music time. Still, while the horns triumph during the few sections
conceding supposed genre of the album, the song drives home Avicii’s unique,
uncompromising style. Dance music needs more of that.
“Addicted to You” continues the trend, with throaty female
vocals reminiscent of Florence or Adele alongside well-balanced piano and bass.
It is at this point that a listener who is not a fan of dance music might realize
the feat the album has pulled off: you can just listen to it and tap your foot
sometimes, if you prefer. The song transitions passively into “Dear Boy”, where
velvety and passionate Lana Del Ray vocals feel as if lifted from a dusty
record, placed between now-you’re-talkin’ bouts of dirty, wobbly thumps and
synth. A song that pushes all the right buttons, but might be a tad too long.
The anger of “Liar Liar” stands in contrast to the prior
moodiness. Svelt female vocal amalgamations alongside Avicii’s new pet piano
build the listener up. In chorus, one man’s angry claim summons the only organ
solo in recent memory into a dance music album.
A vague flavor of enthusiastic ragtime boogie lingers around
“Shame On Me”, with a faster tempo that invites vigorous footwork almost
enabling swing dancing, of all things. A merry arrangement of prior-mentioned
ingredients are featured here, but overall this song is somewhat stale.
“Lay Me Down” is a throwback, a nod to the days of “Sweet
Dreams” and “Stayin’ Alive” being dance floor material. Austin Powers would
feel at home. “Hope There’s Someone”, on the other hand, opens with over a
minute of emotional, bare-bones female vocal solo, building alongside that
piano again into a drop into nothing but vocals, into the final drop that would
no doubt cause a frenzy in a live venue if for no other reason than the nearly
five minute wait.
“Heart Upon My Sleeve”, while overall dull and lacking
vocals, at least offers an attention-grabbing choice on Avicii’s part: angsty
cellos find their home in front of standard wubs, ticka-tickas, bonks and
synth-waves.
Sadly, the album ends on somewhat of a weak note, with “Canyon”
offering a by-the-numbers dance floor beat. “All You Need Is Love” similarly
offers fare that’s enjoyable yet forgettable, though it at least has pleasant
vocal injections to prevent the album from ending on a completely sober,
inhuman note.
Avicii’s first full album, “True”, is somehow accessible
while incorporating elements in directions other dance musicians may not have
even considered treading, let alone feared. It stops short of greatness at the
precipice, but that’s what playlists are for. Your party probably wasn’t going
to feature only Avicii anyway, right?
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