The 23-year-old Australian sounds alternately like a heavier Ellie Goulding, a more serious Tove Lo and a darker Kylie Minogue. Naturally these kinds of feelings-filled albums are typically written more for the benefit of the singer than anyone else with any luck, the audience will connect in some way and take something away from the experience.Īnd Blue does deserve to be heard. Given the overdone production and melodrama, the rest of us will likewise be tempted to only half listen. Vera Blue’s new “Perennial” is essentially a heartfelt break-up album directed at an ex who, given the context of these songs, would probably only half-listen to her or not listen at all. ++++++++++ Vera Blue's strengths mired in overproduction But perhaps he’s simply reestablishing himself before he steps up his creativity … AVICII "AVICI" Rating: 3 (out of 5) In truth, all of “AVICI” feels very “done before” as the Swedish producer retreads his trademark moves. “AVICI” is highlighted by a “What Would I Change It To” that lovingly frames AlunaGeorge’s dulcet vocals as she explores the psyche with lines like, “You can copy and paste your head on a new body/But that new body’s still made of flesh.”īy contrast the EP isn’t well served by Avicii’s ridiculously explosive, circus-like interruptions on “Friend of Mine” (featuring Vargas & Lagola) or the overly familiar would-be anthem “Without You” (featuring Cavazza). The Swede continues his established aesthetic with the humble “AVICI,” which features Rita Ora’s pop bent in the rumbling “Lonely Together,” Billy Raffoul’s soulful contribution to “You Be Love,” and a rush of adrenaline from a textured remix of Sandro Cavazza’s “So Much Better.”
Ongoing health issues and a split from his manager likely contributed to what appeared to be general burnout.īut a few weeks ago, Avicii, who is still just 27, began teasing new work and now has released a six-song “AVICI” of old and new songs. Yet as it goes with supernovas, Avicii’s trajectory collapsed into a black hole last year, and he declared his retirement from live performance and ceased his studio work. +++++++++++ Once-prolific Avicii returns from hiatusĪ few years ago, Swedish producer Avicii came out of nowhere and exploded like a supernova, making his mark on Electronic Dance Music with tireless touring and a stylish blend of sensitive vocals anchored to an improbable fusion of folkish acoustic music and lively electronic-based arrangements – perhaps best exemplified by his dance hit “Hey Brother” featuring bluegrass singer Dan Tyminski (of all people). Grizzly Bear "Painted Ruins" Rating: 4 (out of 5) At other times, the affectations in his tone are more distracting than if he would just let loose with emotions, and when his band runs low on tricks, especially later on the release, “Painted Ruins” drags.Īlthough even when it stalls, it entices. At times his stylized deadpan is a perfect complement to alpha brain waves and introspection.
The matter of his vocals is a tricky one, however. The vaunted Brooklyn band’s first release since 2012’s “Shields” sounds like music for those hooked on mood elevators, its meticulous textures layered in an insidiously calming restraint as forlorn frontman Edward Droste pines and moans in an alluring near-monotone.Īlthough his voice is largely unvaried through “Painted Ruins,” the arrangements cushion his ennui with supple diversions like the funereal air of the fragile “Wasted Acres” and woozy “Cut-Out,” contrasted by a dance-friendly “Mourning Sound” that rides a fuzzed-out rhythm and a cascading break on the way to droll lyrics such as, “I made a mistake I should have never tried/I took the cake, finished every slice.”Ĭuriosities abound in this oddly lush collection, including the giddy electro in the meditative “Glass Hillside” and the disquieting “Four Cypresses” that (unintentionally?) hints at the attack on Pearl Harbor with its military drums, Hawaiian guitar and lyrics like, “Planes flying overhead so early/Make no sound … It’s chaos, but it works.”ĭroste is more lyrically effective when he’s direct, evidenced on a “Neighbors” where he finds liberation in his loss of feeling for another: “Conversation stalls, and after so long, there’s nothing really there.” Grizzly Bear’s new “Painted Ruins” marks an evolution of popular music – from disparate early forces like the Beatles, Velvet Underground and Steely Dan through prog-rock, psychedelia, Krautrock and Goth to emo and shoe-gazer music – all leading to this addled aural beauty for 2017.
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