[POP] Ellie Goulding – ‘Halcyon’ Album Review

[POP] Ellie Goulding – ‘Halcyon’ Album Review

[POP] Ellie Goulding – ‘Halcyon’ Album Review

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The last two years have been pretty big for twenty five year old British singer Ellie Goulding (born Elena Jane Goulding) as she performed at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding reception and at the White House, made Rolling Stone’s annual Hot List, became Skrillex‘s main squeeze, and broke into the mainstream in the US where her feathery electronic pop single “Lights” reached number two after climbing the Billboard chart for a lengthy year and three months!

Riding on the coat tails of her sleeper hit, she is wasting no time by releasing her sophomore effort Halcyon. Recorded and, for the most part, co-produced under the guidance of Kish Muave’s Jim Eliot (known for his work with Kylie Minogue) the album has Goulding dive into a more ambitious and experimental territory as opposed to her 2010 pop-heavy debut “Lights” and its re-release “Bright Lights.” With the exception of the Calvin Harris collaboration “I Need Your Love,” gone are the sugary pop hooks and melodies of previous singles like “Starry Eyed” and “Guns and Horses” and incoming are beautifully crafted electronic pop gems characterized by soft and loud arrangements, dramatic tension, pianos, echos, bleeps, and even harp solos. The elegant production values never take away from Ellie’s quirky yet haunting vocals highlighted by her impressive song-writing abilities. Described by the artist herself as “a journey from dark into light from confusion to understanding” she sings about love, heartbreak, growth, joy, loss and hope with conviction that far surpasses many of her contemporaries.

The album’s highlights include the previously released trippy “Hanging On” (although it would do much better without the misplaced Tinie Tempah rap), lead single “Anything Could Happen,” the joyus and anthemic “Only You” and the beautifully haunting “Dead In The Water.” With Goulding’s unique ability to bridge pop and EDM, hipster and mainstream worlds together the record will no doubt be a hit amongst many.

Head over to iTunes to purchase Halcyon now.
 


 

 

 

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James Kabat Editor, based in Chicago specializing in pop, dance, and underground club culture. I have interviewed some of the world's biggest DJ's and I enjoy diving deep into the minds of my musical heroes.